Johnny Sexton received a lifeline after being suspended for just three matches for his behavior during the Champions Cup final. Credit: REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne
Johnny Sexton, Ireland's captain, has been suspended for three matches after being found guilty of verbally abusing a match official during the European Cup final in May. World Cup.
An independent disciplinary committee deemed Sexton's behavior «confrontational, aggressive and disrespectful to match officials», with Sexton «pointing the finger» and «yelling something along the lines of, 'It's a shame you guys can't make big decisions right «. , probably accompanied by «most likely an f-word» swearing at referee Jaco Peiper and his assistants, Karl Dixon and Christoph Ridley.
The Committee added: «[Sexton's] behavior was clearly unsportsmanlike and brought to the sport rugby union has fallen into disrepute.”
Irish captain Sexton will now miss three warm-up matches against Italy, England and Samoa next month, leaving him with no playing time for Ireland ahead of the tournament in France.
The 38-year-old has not played with the Six Nations since a groin injury ended his season, missing Leinster's European Cup final defeat to La Rochelle, meaning his first game in six months will be Ireland's first against Romania in Bordeaux .
Sexton would have been suspended for six matches were it not for what the committee described as «a significant amount of genuine mitigation», citing Sexton's admission of misconduct, excellent disciplinary record, expression of remorse and characterization, and his apology to Tony Spreadbury. head of the EPCR match officials.
Had it not been for the mitigation, Sexton would also have missed Ireland's World Cup pool matches against Romania, Tonga and most notably South Africa.
During the hearings between Sexton and officials, three incidents were considered; shortly after the end of the match, during the medal presentation and after the medal presentation.
Sexton was found to have committed misconduct during the first two incidents, where he acted in a «confrontational, aggressive and disrespectful manner» and then continued to display a «hostile dislike» towards match officials. He was still publicly expressing his anger towards them and had yet to regain his composure.” The third incident was dismissed, and Ridley told the hearing that Sexton was by then «meaningful and non-confrontational» when Sexton tried to apologize to Ridley, to which he was told «not now, Johnny.»
Sexton's three-match ban took into account a number of previous disciplinary decisions, including Kyle Sinclair's two-match ban in 2021 for telling the referee «are you serious» and Jack Nowell's recent fine (no match ban) for what he tweeted. , «this is one of the worst decisions I've ever seen.»
According to the transcript of the hearing, Sexton's legal representative, Michael Kush, «relied» on Nowell's decision. But the committee «disagreeed on the main points» of the Nowell case and Kush's suggestion that the game ban was a «stupid tool.»
In testifying, Sexton described to a committee composed of Christopher Quinlan KC. , Adam Casselden SC and Marcello D'Ori — his «good attitude towards match officials» during his career, although he voluntarily stated that on the field he «pressed the line» at times.
B as a result of his three match suspensions, next month Sexton won't be saying goodbye on the Dublin pitch given his impending retirement after the World Cup.
Sexton's absence from warm-up matches will mean 10 more playing time for other contenders midfielder from Andy Farrell's 42-player team, Ross Byrne and Jack Crowley.
Leinster was also given a suspended €7,500 (£6,430) fine following a separate complaint of misconduct. , and the penalty is suspended until the end of the 2023–24 European season. If before that they commit another offense, the fine must be paid in full.
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