Saracens coach Brendan Venter braced for 14-week ban appeal hearing
Did Brendan Venter’s actions against Leicester Tigers really warrant a lengthy 14-week ban?
The RFU were convinced that they did. This evening, however, an independent panel will decide whether or not the ban was excessive.
The South African was accused of “making provocative and inappropriate gestures” during Saracens’ league match with Leicester on May 8th - an accusation which Venter and his club strenuously deny.
The subsequent suspension means that the Saracens director of rugby will miss the showpiece Guinness Premiership Final against the Tigers on Saturday afternoon - a bitter blow to the Sarries hopes of landing their first ever Premiership title.
Venter remains adamant that he didn’t do much wrong at Welford Road, where he became frustrated with his restricted view. The former South Africa international maintains that he didn’t swear at the Leicester fans or make any obscene gestures.
The Sarries chief executive, Edward Griffiths, also slammed the RFU’s banning order and claimed that rugby union needed to be run “like a modern professional sport” rather than a “rural prep school”.
Griffiths himself could now find himself in hot water after those ill-advised comments, too.
A 14-week ban did sound particularly harsh considering the original hearing found that Venter didn’t push anyone, swear or making offensive gestures. However, the RFU were suitably unimpressed with the director of rugby’s attitude during the hearing, and promptly released an 11-page document which detailed Venter’s “arrogant behaviour”.
By – somewhat bizarrely – eating biscuits and sweets at the hearing, the RFU condemned the South African’s attitude to the hearing and consequently slapped down the hefty ban.
Fair or not? The independent panel will decide for themselves this evening.
Meanwhile, Leicester head coach Richard Cockerill is also in hot water following the club’s semi-final against Bath ten days ago, and could also miss Saturday’s Premiership Final.
Cockerill was spotted mouthing obscenities and showing dissent during the semi-final clash; and Saracens understandably pointed to this incident and asked why no disciplinary action had been taken against him.
Of course, rugby union is more traditional with its core values compared to one or two other popular sports, and would not want to encourage such behaviour. In the heat of the moment, though, during pressurised situations, coaches can – and will - lose their tempers all too easily.
Venter will hope to have his ban rescinded this evening, but the severity of the punishment means that the Saracens head coach will almost certainly miss this weekend’s final at Twickenham.
A disappointing end to a superb season for the South African on a personal note; however, he will now be relying on his fired-up players to do the business at HQ and bring the coveted Premiership trophy to Vicarage Road for the very first time.
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