OSPREYS LIKELY TO APPEAL HENSON BAN
Ospreys officials look likely to appeal against the 10-week ban that has left Wales Grand Slam star Gavin Henson's season in ruins.

And Wales coach Mike Ruddock must also pick up the pieces ahead of his team's RBS 6 Nations title defence, which begins against world champions England at Twickenham on February 4.

Ruddock was already without injured Lions Ryan Jones and Brent Cockbain for the entire Six Nations campaign, while Henson will now miss appointments with England, Scotland and Ireland after being cited and found guilty of elbowing Leicester prop Alex Moreno during last weekend's bitter Heineken Cup clash.

A second charge that Henson then aimed a kick at Moreno, who suffered a broken nose as a result of the elbowing incident, was dismissed.

Ruddock has also lost promising Ospreys lock Ian Evans from his immediate Six Nations plans following Evans' eight-week suspension handed out by the same three-man disciplinary panel in Glasgow today.

Evans, who admitted the offence, was cited for stamping on Leicester and England scrum-half Harry Ellis in the same game as Henson's costly misdemeanour. Ellis underwent knee surgery last night, and could be sidelined for a month.

Henson has made just three appearances this season after recovering from groin surgery, but he is now out of the game until early March after a year when he kicked England to defeat in Cardiff, began a high-profile relationship with singer Charlotte Church, became a Test Lion and published a controversial book.

Henson, 23, refused to comment after the two-hour hearing, but Ospreys team manager Derwyn Jones spoke on his and Evans' behalf.

"Gavin Henson has received a 10-week ban, whereas Ian Evans has received an eight-week ban from playing rugby," said Jones.

"We are very disappointed with both verdicts, and we will now consider our position as to whether or not to appeal the sanctions imposed."

Any appeal hearing could conceivably result in Henson receiving an even longer ban than his 10 weeks and two days, although the Ospreys would campaign for a considerable reduction.

"It is disappointing news for Gavin, the Ospreys and the Welsh team," said Ruddock.

"It is particularly unfortunate for Gavin, in that he was only just coming back from a long-term injury and we all wanted him to focus fully on regaining his match fitness and form by playing for the Ospreys.

"However, what this citing case proves is the importance for players at all levels to maintain good discipline.

"It is also a major blow for us to lose Ian Evans for eight weeks in the build-up to the Six Nations. Ian played himself on to the bench for the autumn internationals, and he looks a fine prospect.

"These decisions will now make it difficult for both players to achieve selection for the Six Nations."

Match citing commissioner Bill Dunlop reported Henson, and the ban comes barely a month after France captain Fabien Pelous received a nine-week suspension for striking Wallabies hooker Brendan Cannon with his elbow during a Test match in Marseille.

Henson has not played for Wales since the Grand Slam-clinching victory over Ireland in Cardiff last March.

Concussion then ended his Lions tour of New Zealand a week early, ruling him out of the Test series finale in Auckland after he had started the second Test, and he underwent surgery in Germany earlier this season to cure a long-standing groin problem.

If, as seems probable, Henson now misses the entire Six Nations campaign, his earliest opportunity to regain a Wales place would be on next summer's Argentina tour.

Evans, meanwhile, will not play again until mid-February, ruling him out of Six Nations contention against England and Scotland.

Evans was also cited by match commissioner Dunlop following the first-half incident that led to Leicester star Ellis limping out of the Pool Three encounter.

Surgeons subsequently removed a damaged piece of cartilage from Ellis' left knee joint, although Leicester's initial fears of a long lay-off have, it seems, not materialised.

Like Henson, 21-year-old Evans will also miss several important Celtic League games, plus the Ospreys' final two Heineken Cup pool fixtures against Clermont Auvergne and Stade Francais next month.

Ellis will sit out Tigers' holiday Guinness Premiership games against Bristol and Saracens, while it would also appear he could be absent for crucial Heineken Cup appointments with Stade Francais and Clermont Auvergne next month.

The disciplinary panel was chaired by the Scottish Rugby Union's Rod McKenzie, assisted by Dr Barry O'Driscoll (Irish Rugby Union) and Professor Lorne Crerar (Scottish Rugby Union).

Saracens prop Kevin Yates, meanwhile, avoided a ban after being cited for punching during his club's Heineken Cup victory over Ulster last Saturday.

Although the citing complaint was upheld, it was decided the yellow card Yates received in the match should be deemed sufficient punishment.

The citing against Ulster's Matt McCullough from the same match was dismissed.

This article was posted on 23-Dec-2005, 19:43 by Hugh Barrow.