Rugby Football Union hands Mark Cueto a nine-week ban
Mark Cueto the winger for Sale Sharks has been given a ban for nine weeks.
Cueto appealed to be not be guilty for “making contact with the eye or the eye are” with Christian Day, the Northampton Saints’ lock. But the winger was found guilty and now has been banned for nine weeks.
The incident occurred a month back in the Aviva Premiership affair in which Sale Sharks lost at Franklin’s Gardens. Cueto was handed a forty-day suspension from his club and his ban has been accordingly dated on 4th April. The disciplinary panel
from Rugby Football Union gave the degree of offence to be of middle range. This kind of offence is usually given a punishment of eighteen weeks, but the duration of the ban was reduced due to reasons that Rugby Football Union explains as “compelling mitigation.”
This has turned out to be a blessing for Cueto as he would be around for the Rugby World Cup training sessions for England. The warm up tests are coming and Cueto will be available for them. The first warm up test is against Argentina on 10th September.
Mark Cueto has recently proved to be a major weapon for England. The 31 year old winger has given his best in Six Nations this year and was seen making a few skilled moves.
Matt Bayliss, the independent citing officer was the one who cited Cueto in the 53-24 thrashing by Northampton Saints. The incident was a resultant of a ball fight between Day and Cueto. Both of the players are former team mates, as Day was in Sale Sharks
earlier. Later on Wame Lewaravu scored a try in the build-up of what was looking to be a mess. The video evidence showed that he had his hands clawed on Day’s face towards the eyes.
Dylan Hartley, another England team member of Cueto received a 24-week ban in year 2007 for eye gouging. It is considered to be the most punished foul in rugby, as officials always take a close notice of it. The club itself takes actions to avoid such situations
and they handed a suspension to Mark Cueto. Steve Diamond, the director of sport for Sales Shark said, “Mark let the club and his team-mates down, and he is very upset that he has done so.”
The club had already made sure that Cueto would be missing out on the rest of the season of Aviva Premiership, but he will return for the World Cup. It’s a relief for Martin Johnson and Cueto’s World Cup ambitions were already visible throughout this season,
so it will be interesting to see England going in the World Cup with the best.
The panel was headed by Antony Davies and was accompanied by David MacInnes and Cliff Barker. The panel decided to give Cueto a right to appeal and closed the matter.
Tags: