The Evening Times reports

Former Scotland and British Lions prop Peter Wright expects the outcome of today’s disciplinary hearing for Ospreys to undermine the “credibility” of the Magners League.

It is believed the Welsh province, who host Glasgow Warriors in the Magners League play-off semi-final at Liberty Stadium on Friday, will suffer a three-point deduction for postponing their March 19 showdown with Ulster – but, crucially, it is unlikely to apply until NEXT season.

However, Wright reckons the integrity of the competition will be called into question because the timing of the hearing has virtually guaranteed that outcome.

And the Glasgow Hawks coach is particularly incensed because he believes the situation has robbed Warriors – who finished just one point behind Ospreys in the final standings – of what could be crucial home advantage in the tie.

Wright said: “There is no way any punishment meted out 48 hours before the play-off semi-final was going to be relevant to this season. That is just absurd.

“If Ospreys were to have had the three points deducted this term, that would have handed Glasgow home advantage and, for a game as big as this one – which is the biggest in Glasgow’s history – that would have been massive.

“It is a ludicrous situation that a team commits a transgression such as this and then, if seems the case, is not punished for it until the following season.

“Anyone looking in from outside of rugby will be looking at this and questioning the credibility of the competition.

“In rugby, home advantage is vital. At Firhill, I think Glasgow would have had a very good chance of winning this tie but, at the Liberty Stadium, you have to say Ospreys are favourites.”

Ospreys won their re-arranged fixture against Ulster 38-27 on April 13, after pulling out of the initial date claiming they did not have sufficient front-row cover to fulfil the fixture.

The Welsh side were not prepared to use semi-professional players from their feeder clubs – Aberavon, Neath and Swansea – in the Principality Premiership.

Ospreys also said they never agreed to the March 19 date because they had already given players and management leave between March 12 and 22 and had given Ulster three alter-native dates, all of which had been turned down.

The original hearing on the matter on April 19 was postponed due to the volcanic ash travel disruption – a delay which Wright believes has handed the Welsh an unfair advantage.

“Ospreys committed the offence this season. So to punish them for it next season is just not right and not fair,” added Wright.

This article was originally posted on 12-May-2010, 13:59 by Hugh Barrow.
Last updated by Hugh Barrow on 12-May-2010, 14:01.