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Cape Town - Jaguares captain Agustin Creevy has received a one-week ban for a dangerous tackle on Sharks loose forward Jean Deysel in their Super Rugby clash in Buenos Aires on Saturday.
SANZAAR duty judicial officer Robert Stelzner has accepted a guilty plea from Creevy for contravening Law 10.4 (e): Dangerous tackling, after he was cited following the match.
As a result of the tackle, Deysel was stretchered from the field.
Creevy has been suspended from all forms of the game for one week up to and including May 22, which means he will the Jaguares’ match against the Lions in Johannesburg this Saturday.
In his finding, Stelzner ruled the following:
"Agustin Creevy and his representatives appeared before me and admitted the dangerous tackling charge as cited.
"I accepted the submission on behalf of the player that he did not deliberately tackle his opponent dangerously or with intent to injure him. He grabbed his opponent around the shoulder area and tried to bring him down to the ground at a time that his opponent was charging forward. The player’s version of events was supported by the video footage.
"I formed the view that the contravention was at the lower end of seriousness. In my assessment the offending was not intentional. It is not a case of lifting and dropping or driving an opponent nor a neck roll type offence which would have not only made the offending more serious but would have warranted an increase in sanction based on aggravating factors. The fact that his opponent was injured is regrettable, but that was in part also attributable to the opposing player’s own momentum, the fluidity of the situation and the player himself being somewhat wrong footed and desperate to stop the charge. He clearly did not do so intentionally. This categorisation carries with it a recommended sanction of two weeks suspension.
"I found no aggravating factors to be present. The following mitigating factors apply. The player accepted he had transgressed and pleaded guilty. He is 31 years of age and has a clean playing record having played some 46 games for the Pumas and eight seasons in Europe for clubs such as Biarritz, Montpellier, Clermont. His clean record was an important off-field mitigating factor. A 50% reduction in sanction in my view is applicable. This results in a one-week suspension
"In the circumstances a suspension of one week, which prevents the player from playing for a week from today, i.e. until after Sunday, 22 May 2016, is in my view a meaningful one given that the Jaguares are scheduled to play a match next Saturday, against the Lions. The player is accordingly suspended from all rugby up to and including 22 May 2016.”
Meanwhile, the Jaguares still await the fate of No 8 Leonardo Senatore. Who was cited for alleged biting during the Sharks match.
Senatore’s hearing will take place on Monday.
