Lions prop Healy cleared of biting
Neil Devey,
The West Australian
June 7, 2013,
12:16 pm
British and Irish Lions prop Cian Healy has been cleared of biting Western Force scrumhalf Breet Sheehan in Wednesday night's tour game at Patersons Stadium.
The Irish loosehead was cited after the game following the incident on 17 minutes which saw Sheehan holding his arm out, as if to show teeth marks.
Healy had a hearing in Brisbane today which lasted two-and-a-hours before he was cleared.
Judicial officer Nigel Hampton QC said he found insufficient evidence to support the allegations and cleared Healy "of an act contrary to good sportsmanship".
“There is no conclusive video evidence of the incident and post-match it was not possible to distinguish any discernible bite marks outside of the ‘regular’ marks usually found following a rugby match,” Hampton said in his findings.
“I cannot find proven on the balance of probabilities that there was a deliberate bite here, and the citing complaint is not upheld.”
Hampton determined that during the tackle Sheehan’s arm may have come in contact with Healy’s mouth and due to the pressure of the tackle it is likely that unavoidable contact between Healy’s mouth and teeth and Sheehan’s arm occurred.
The decision means Healy is available selection, starting with the Lions game against the Queensland Reds tomorrow.
However, he is still a doubt for the rest of the tour because of injury after he was stretchered off later in the first half on Wednesday with an ankle injury.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-...red-of-biting/
