Two French players suspended
July 06, 2008 - 12:31pm
Story by: ARU
French prop Renaud Boyoud and No.8 Imanol Harinordoquy have both been suspended for three weeks for striking Qantas Wallabies lock James Horwill during Saturday night’s Bundaberg Rum Rugby Series Test at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.
Horwill was sent to hospital for scans on his eye socket after being punched by Boyoud and Harinordoquy during a first-half melee during the Wallabies record 40-10 win.
English judicial officer Christopher Quinlan handed down the sentences, which will commence from the start of the French season on August 1, after both players pleaded guilty to striking.
Harinordoquy threw a flurry of upper cuts at the Queensland Reds captain after Horwill ran in to assist Wallabies hooker Stephen Moore who was in a scuffle with French flankers Matthieu Lievremont and Fulgence Ouedraogo.
Tight-head prop Boyoud then landed a heavy punch on Horwill from behind, which was first feared had fractured Horwill’s eye socket. Scans at a Brisbane hospital last night cleared Horwill of any fracture but he will visit an eye surgeon on Monday to confirm there is no further damage.
"I just went in to give Squeak (Moore) a hand and there was a flurry of punches” explained a heavily-bandaged Horwill on Sunday. “I stood up and turned the wrong way and just copped one from behind and my eye swelled up and couldn't see out of left eye.”
Ironically, it was Horwill who was penalised by New Zealand referee Paul Honiss after the incident on the advice of his touch judge for inciting the brawl by running to the aid of Moore.
"Squeak had two guys on him and there was a guy around his neck so I was just trying to get him off and help him off," Horwill said. "I'm not sure why it escalated.
"That's footy, it's not the first black eye I've got and won't be my last in my Test career."
In his findings Quinlan stated Harinordoquy threw deliberate and repeated blows to the head of Horwill while Boyoud was found to have struck Horwill once "but it was a significant blow, struck from behind".
The entry point for a mid-range offence is five weeks but Quinlan took into account mitigating factors, including the fact both players expressed regret and remorse.
