ROB KEARNEY believes Mack Hansen’s suspension is harsh – but agrees that referees must be protected too.
Ireland wing Hansen has been handed a three-game ban that will keep him out of action until the Six Nations for comments critical of refereeing in Connacht games.
He also has a further three games suspended and has been told to apologise to referee Chris Busby, who officiated the Leinster game that drew ire, and go on an as yet to be determined course.
Additionally, Connacht have a suspended €10,000 fine for not controlling their players – in this case Hansen – and must put their players training in how to deal with the media.
In reality, the Connacht wing has been hit with a two game ban from the meetings with Lyon and Cardiff in the Challenge Cup.
The third game of the suspension in the URC against Glasgow clashes with an Ireland training camp in the Algarve.
Simon Easterby picks his squad for that next Wednesday and Hansen is expected to be included.
But former Ireland fullback Kearney reckons that the length of the ban is too much.
He said: “There are arguments for and against this, there really is. Six matches reduced to three, potentially on the harsh side I would think.
“A three-match ban is not a slap on the wrist, that’s a little bit more than a slap on the wrist.”
But he also acknowledged that Hansen’s comments – where he picked out incidents in the Leinster game where he thought his team were harshly treated, and claimed it happened regularly – also meant that the URC had to act.
Kearney said: “You cannot completely put a muzzle on players and just not allow them to voice their opinions because they are a key part of the game.
“Without players there is no game.
“But I do think players have a responsibility to protect the game and to ensure that there is a game in five, ten, 15 years time.
“And listen rugby is a great game. I love rugby. It is what I did my whole life. The values of rugby are very, very strong.
“And it is one of the reasons why lots of kids play the game because they think the values of the game are so strong, in terms of team work, camaraderie, respect for officials and the referee, and everything that goes with that.
“I also think we have to mindful as well that these players are heroes to young kids. And young kids do what they see their heroes doing.
“I am not trying to pick on soccer but if you go down to a local underage soccer team, you see diving, you see shouting at referees. There is a trade off.
“We cannot get to a point where every post match interview is a player giving out about the officials because if that is the case we won’t have officials and if we don’t have officials.
“The quality of referees and officiating in world rugby needs to get better.
“But if we start discouraging people from wanting to become referees then that issue is only going to get bigger. There are arguments for and against both sides.”
IN A GOOD PLACE
Meanwhile, Kearney reckons Leinster are in a good place this season despite their attacking troubles.
Leinster visit La Rochelle in the Champions Cup on Sunday looking to continue their perfect winning record this season, but with their defence doing it rather that the attack.
But Kearney thinks that is fine.
He said: “Your defence wins finals. There is no doubt about that but you still have to score tries.
“I do think Leinster’s defence has improved immeasurably this season and when you get to semi-finals and finals, when pressure comes on a little bit more, that ability to really put the opposition under time and pressure, is going to put them under more pressure.”
Rob Kearney will be part of the Premier Sports commentary team with live action of La Rochelle v Leinster this Sunday live on Premier Sports 1 from 3pm (UK & Ireland).
