Henco Venter, Glasgow’s No 8, has been suspended for six weeks for making reckless but not intentional contact with the eyes of Dan Cole during the Warriors’ victory over Leicester last Saturday.
Telegraph Sport revealed on Sunday how the Tigers had lodged an official complaint with the citing commissioner after the last-16 tie in the Investec Champions Cup. That was followed up on Monday by a citing by European Professional Club Rugby’s independent commissioner.
Venter was cited in contravention of Law 9.12 which covers both “intentional” and “reckless” contact with the eyes. To an independent disciplinary panel on Tuesday, the 32-year-old accepted he had committed an act of foul play and that it would have warranted a red card, but that it was not intentional.
The panel upheld the citing on the grounds that Venter’s contact with Cole’s eyes, which occurred in the opening minutes of the match at Scotstoun, was reckless but not intentional. They deemed the offence to fall at the mid-range of World Rugby’s sanctions.
A 12-week ban was imposed but the committed decided to reduce the sanction by the maximum 50 per cent mitigation owing to the South African’s “timely acceptance that he had committed an act of foul play that would have warranted a red card, his expression of remorse, clean disciplinary record and good conduct and full participation in the disciplinary hearing”.
Venter went on to score two tries and was named player of the match in Glasgow’s comprehensive 43-19 win.
The incident occurred in the build-up to Olly Cracknell’s try, the match’s first, with Cole, lying face down after a maul went to ground, appearing to have his arm around the head of the Warriors’ No 8. In response, Venter reached forward and made contact with Cole’s eye area.
In the footage Cole appears to react immediately, clutching both hands to his right eye and remaining on the ground as play continues, before steadily getting to his feet. Leicester scored from the next phase through Cracknell.
Cole can then be seen holding his eye while taking a knee as the Leicester players celebrate their try. The incident was not checked at the time and Cole continued playing until being replaced after 56 minutes.
The precise matches that Venter misses are still to be determined because of the European knockout schedule but the No 8 will certainly miss Glasgow’s trip to Dublin to face Leinster in the Champions Cup quarter-finals on Friday night.
