by @curates_egg
The handling of the Paul O’Connell-Dave Kearney incident by the Irish rugby establishment (officials, fans and media) has left a really nasty impression on many rugby fans both in Ireland and beyond.
Put simply: people smell a rat, both in the partial media whiteout and the failure by the Irish citing official to refer what is generally agreed even by Munster-leaning commentators to be a citable incident. This is in no way the fault of Paul O'Connell, who is - in some sense - also a victim in the process.
Failure to cite wrong
There is not much need to outline why Paul O’Connell should have been cited (and possibly banned). This has been done eloquently elsewhere and is accepted by most neutral fans, and even many Munster fans – even if they have been intimidated on social media for expressing their opinions. Suffice to say: kicking a player in the head is a dangerous play and, as such, should be cited. It left me and all those I watched the match with feeling deeply disturbed and ruined what had been an otherwise classic, if feisty, sporting encounter.
All rugby fans know Paulie is not a dirty player and believe he did not deliberately kick a player into unconsciousness. However, the rules on dangerous play – designed to guarantee player safety – are really quite simple, as is the citing process in the Rabo Pro 12, as Paul O'Connell himself admitted, and he knows he should now be at the very least facing a disciplinary panel and possibly serving a ban before going on the Lions tour, regardless of malicious intent.
The PR machine
There are more serious questions about the way this regrettable incident was handled by the media and the rugby authorities, and the serious implications this has for the sport in Ireland.
The wheels were set in motion almost immediately. Munster fans – clearly and understandably keen to ensure their talisman is available for the Heineken Cup semi final – sought to play down the incident, whether at the stadium, in bars or online. That is the prerogative of fans though: we are entitled to myopic judgement.
The role of the media, however, is altogether different. The media should act as a check and balance on establishments, and provide independent coverage of events. This applies to sport just as it does anywhere.
However, many in the Irish media immediately engaged in a dumbing-down exercise. It started with RTE’s coverage of the incident, with George Hook and Donal Lenihan naturally the main offenders. Some contrast with George Hook's analysis of other recent foul plays by Irish rugby players Brian O'Driscoll and Cian Healy (both of whom were cited and banned, albeit receiving lenient bans for deliberate foul play offences).
The press box at Thomond was also already concocting a line to ensure the exoneration of Paul O’Connell in the eyes of their readership, according to press corps sources. This was reflected in the news articles written by the mainstream media, with Gerry Thornley of the Irish Times originally stunningly completely omitting – what was – the defining incident of the match from his coverage, whilst subsequently adding it and playing it down, like his colleague Conor George in the Irish Independent. We also had pundits (like RTE's Michael Corcoran) going beyond the call of duty on social media to show what a good guy Paul O'Connell is (no argument there but why just after the incident?).
An ill-judged tweet by the official Lions profile on twitter, seeking to provoke responses on the incident, was also swiftly taken down. Even seasoned and respected independent rugby bloggers online seemed scared to “go there” for fear of being attacked and losing their status as respected commentators. The only media figure seemingly willing to break the omerta was Irish Independent journalist Brendan Fanning, with Tony Ward also giving a less damning opinion.
Storm in a teacup?
In the face of this omerta, I began to question myself and my initial reaction of horror at the incident. Had I overreacted? Was it really “a storm in a teacup” (as online posters suggested)? Had I misunderstood the disciplinary rules (outlined above)?
It was only when Leinster coach Joe Schmidt gave a series of interviews (like this one) in which he could barely conceal his outrage about the failure to cite the incident that I realised that my initial reaction was not wrong. A reasonable, balanced, mildly-spoken and respected coach like Joe Schmidt was clearly so outraged that he felt it necessary to speak about the ugly events and their implications for the game. That he gave these comments just before interviewing for the job as coach of the Irish side was both brave and indicative of how strongly he felt about the matter. Leo Cullen (who spoke out in Alan Quinlan's defence at Quinlan's disciplinary hearing in 2009 at which he was banned for gouging Cullen) was also scathing.
The flaws of Rabo Pro12 citing process, whereby an Irish official is responsible for citing players from all Irish matches, are surely evident for all to see. While Eddie Walsh may not have been “got at” or directly influenced by the Munster and Irish rugby establishment, the failure to cite this clearly citable incident is hard to fathom, and reflects very badly on the whole system.
This has naturally been noted in France, where it is suspected to have been a stitch-up to facilitate the participation of Paul O'Connell in the Heineken Cup semi final. However, regardless of conspiracy theories, it also totally undermines confidence in the ability of this system to fulfil its purpose of ensuring player welfare is paramount.
The presence of Paul O’Connell on the pitch in the semi-final is rightly deemed essential to the fortunes of Munster. Munster’s success also has implications for the IRFU both financially (with the revenues from having an Irish side in the final) and politically (with the ongoing debate on the future of the Heineken Cup). It is not surprising that the French are suspicious.
Maybe it is all intrigue and there has been no background manoeuvring but the optics are not good. Regardless, it has fundamentally undermined the integrity of the game in Ireland. It has massively exacerbated provincial animosity between Leinster and Munster. Most worryingly, it has created an extremely dangerous precedent for player safety, the applicability of rules aimed at ensuring player welfare and the wider appeal of the game.
The ugly underbelly
In short, POCgate has – more than any other incident in my memory – revealed a dark and ugly underbelly of the Irish rugby establishment. Whether or not this is permanent damage remains to be seen but it will leave a bad taste in the mouths of rugby fans across the island for a long time to come. It also, sadly, seems it is too late to rectify it by doing the right thing: letting Paul O'Connell face a Rabo disciplinary panel and then get on with the rest of his career as a Munster and Ireland legend.
@curates_egg : Expat Irish rugby fan living on the continent but regularly travelling to Leinster and Ireland rugby matches. Strong believer in rugby as a family game and a fair sport.
Note : earlier this morning the RaboPRO12 released a statement on its disciplinary procedures.
