Corry handed six-week ban
Martin Corry was found guilty of unintentional contact with his opponent's eyes
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Friday, 13, Feb 2009 10:34
Leicester forward Martin Corry has been suspended for six weeks for bad sportsmanship.
The ex-England skipper was found guilty of "an alleged strike and an act contrary to good sportsmanship" by a Heineken Cup disciplinary committee in Dublin.
He was cited for eye-gouging after being accused of striking Ospreys hooker Richard Hibbard, but it was deemed to have been unintentional. The 35-year-old was also cleared of striking.
The punishment for targeting an opponent's eyes could have been anything from a ban of 12 weeks to three years. But the committee deemed Corry’s actions to be at "low-end of the level of seriousness
for that offence".
Ospreys had initially accused prop Julian White of eye gouging, with coach assistant Jonathan Humphreys claiming his players had made similar complaints against White after the first group match last October.
But two days after the match it was Corry who was cited, leading Ospreys to backtrack on their claims.
"We would like to make clear that the gouging incidents being pursued relate to Martin Corry and that matters relating to Julian White are purely connected with the prior encounter at Welford Road," an Ospreys statement last month said.
Corry's disciplinary hearing was scheduled for February 5th but was put back due to the heavy snowfall on both sides of the Irish Sea. Both parties have the right to appeal.