Speight appeal dismissed

Cape Town - Brumbies wing Henry Speight has had his appeal against a suspension for a dangerous tackle dismissed.

Speight was last week banned for four matches after being found guilty of a dangerous tackle on Stormers centre Juan de Jongh in their Super Rugby qualifier at Newlands on June 20.

The ban saw Speight miss his side’s semi-final loss to the Hurricanes in Wellington last week, but the Brumbies still felt they wanted to appeal the ban.

A SANZAR appeals committee, chaired by Nigel Hampton (New Zealand) and comprising Lex Mpati (South Africa) and Terry Willis (Australia), on Tuesday unanimously dismissed the appeal brought by the Brumbies against the decision that found Speight had contravened Law 10.4 (j) - Lifting Tackle.

The committee dismissed the appeal on the basis that the appellant was unable to show that the judicial officer's central factual findings, that the tackle involved both a lifting and driving, were in error.

The committee also unanimously dismissed the appeal brought against the five-week (four-match) suspension imposed on Speight, finding that the judicial officer had not erred in principle and that the sanction imposed was not manifestly excessive.

As such, the player remains suspended from all forms of the game for five weeks up to and including Saturday, July 25.

No order was made for costs.