Sexton let off with three-week ban and will be at Rugby World Cup
Ireland No10 Johnny Sexton will feature at this year’s Rugby World Cup after an independent panel slapped the fly-half with a three-week ban for admitting to misconduct charges.
Though Sexton admitted to misconduct and the disciplinary panel described his behaviour as aggressive, he will only miss Ireland’s three warm-up games.
The misconduct occurred after the Champions Cup final, in which his club Leinster lost 27-26 to La Rochelle.
In a story revealed by Morning Wire, Sexton was slapped with a misconduct letter with EPCR – European rugby’s professional body – and were said to be chasing a heavy ban which could have put the fly-halves’ World Cup in doubt.
But the talismanic No10 will miss matches in August instead.
“Johnny Sexton admitted Misconduct,” a statement said. “The Disciplinary Committee found his behaviour confrontational and aggressive towards and disrespectful of the match officials, it included his pointing his finger at them and shouting at them something to this effect: ‘it’s a disgrace you guys can’t get the big decisions right’ probably accompanied by expletives ‘most likely the f-word’.
“His conduct was obviously unsportsmanlike and brought the sport of rugby union into disrepute.”
His club, Leinster, were fined £7,500 in the process.
Match referee Jaco Peyper told the hearing of one incident: “It was clear from his increasing proximity and aggressive demeanour that he wished to confront us and did so intentionally.
“My assistants were also aware of his hostile reaction, and one (Karl Dickson) reached across to keep him at distance, before he moved away from us and approached a gathering of Leinster Rugby players and staff.
“Following our instruction to move across to the medal presentation position, my assistants, the TMO and I became aware that Johnny Sexton had followed us across the field and taken up a position a few metres behind us and to our left. He was with a little boy.
“As soon as we realised that he had taken up a position behind us and was staring at us, we turned our backs to try and avoid any further confrontation with him.”
Dickson said of that incident that: “I could not hear the exact words because of the noise”.
And assistant referee Christophe Ridley told the panel of one of the later incidents that he “did not hear him say or shout anything at this point” and of an alleged third incident that “I would describe the way he approached at this point as measured and not confrontational”.
Sexton’s mitigation came from:
- Admission of misconduct
- disciplinary record
- Apologies
- Feeling remorse
- Character references