Neil Best banned

JWAD

Neil has received an 18 week ban after pleading guilty to the charge of "illegal contact with the eye of an opponent"

bleg

good. always thought he was a dirty player. no excuse for that. glad they made an example of him.

anonymous_joe

He's always been a scumbag on the pitch.

Still a great player, but 18 weeks... That's a large chunk of Northampton's season...

homergriffin

Must have been bad to deserve 18 weeks. Was the length of the ban based on intent?

Eoin

Here's the story from breakingnews.ie - emphasis is mine.

Ireland rugby international Neil Best has been banned for 18 weeks by the Rugby Football Union after admitting illegally making contact with the eye or eye area of Wasps’ James Haskell with his hand during a Guinness Premiership game on September 20.

After a two-and-a-half-hour hearing in London yesterday, attended by Best, the three-man RFU panel decided on further discussions this morning, prior to handing down their decision.

He cannot play again until January 28 next year, missing eight rounds of Premiership action, plus all of Northampton’s European Challenge Cup and EDF Energy Cup pool matches.

Best, capped 18 times by Ireland and a member of the 2007 World Cup squad, appeared before a three-man panel chaired by the RFU's disciplinary officer, His Honour Judge Jeff Blackett.

Best had been cited by Premiership citing officer Ken Pattinson following Saints’ 24-20 victory over Wasps at Franklin’s Gardens.

Haskell gave evidence before the panel, confirming his written statement made after the game that the player (Best) "gratuitously commenced to gouge at (his) eye with increasing intensity".

Haskell, a contender to captain England in their autumn Tests next month, said his vision became increasingly blurred, he suffered excruciating pain and felt physically sick because of soreness.

He was later taken to Northampton General Hospital, where an ophthalmologist diagnosed a corneal abrasion and prescribed antibiotic drops.

Photographs taken a day after the game showed significant swelling around Haskell’s eye, which was closed and bruised, with a one-centimetre scratch on his upper eyelid.

Best, whose Northampton team-mate Dylan Hartley received a six-month suspension for eye-gouging last year, told the panel he had acted recklessly, and not deliberately.

bleg

should have gotten longer.

Noopti

While I do like Best as a player, and Haskell seems to be a gimp of the highest order, there is no excuse for this in any sport.

He deserves the ban.

Tim Robbins

Noopti wrote: »

While I do like Best as a player, and Haskell seems to be a gimp of the highest order, there is no excuse for this in any sport.

He deserves the ban.

Should have been longer. What if the player was blinded? Would it have been longer then? 3 Year ban, if not life + a civil case for ABH / GBH.

Eye gouging has no place in the Rugby.

Noopti

Tim Robbins wrote: »

Should have been longer. What if the player was blinded? Would it have been longer then? 3 Year ban, if not life + a civil case for ABH / GBH.

Eye gouging has no place in the Rugby.

What if? What if the drunk driver had killed the person instead of breaking their legs your honor!! You are right, send him down for manslaughter!! You can't convict someone on a what if.

Haskell himself got a stupidly lenient ban for headbutting. Young people have died from head injuries in fights, so should Haskell have been banned for life then based on these other incidents?

18 weeks/max 1 season is about right to me.

Tim Robbins

Noopti wrote: »

What if? What if the drunk driver had killed the person instead of breaking their legs your honor!! You are right, send him down for manslaughter!! You can't convict someone on a what if.

Haskell himself got a stupidly lenient ban for headbutting. Young people have died from head injuries in fights, so should Haskell have been banned for life then based on these other incidents?

18 weeks/max 1 season is about right to me.

I think I'd prefer to be head butted than eye gouged. The problem is that head butting is much easier to catch then eye gouging, it's also statistically not as likely to do long term damage.

There's something really gross about eye gouging.

Noopti

I agree eye gouging is disgusting, and a despicable thing to do. But banning someone for 3 years/life is too much imho.

I honestly feel stamping on someones head is worse as it could result in head injuries and/or eye injuries.

dreamer_ire

Glad he got the ban... no place for that behaviour at all

Stev_o

Damn probably in the most in form backrow at the moment would of needed him for the AI badly.

Sundy

Is Best going to be the new Alan Quinlan, in terms of gettting stupid bans as crucial times in his international career?

Frankie Lee

Should have been far longer, six months at the very least, pure scumbag.

How can he make the argument that it was not deliberate? I don't think its possible to cause that much damage by an accident.

Stev_o

Frankie Lee wrote: »

Should have been far longer, six months at the very least, pure scumbag.

How can he make the argument that it was not deliberate? I don't think its possible to cause that much damage by an accident.

Haskell's no angel either though that's twice he's been in a very serious situation sure he headbutted and punched another player and the citing panel blamed the ref's and the citing commissioner and gave Haskell a week.

Until there's actually footage ill make my decision on it but my god some comments here are just calling for his head cause he has a "reputation" about him. People do relise that he has NEVER been cited before?

"Best, 29, joined Northampton from Ulster this summer. During a professional career of more than 150 games he had never previously been cited."

Pff

Sundy

just to confirm what kind of player haskell is

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yq-68kyQ5TA

thehighground

Stev_o wrote: »

Haskell's no angel either though that's twice he's been in a very serious situation sure he headbutted and punched another player and the citing panel blamed the ref's and the citing commissioner and gave Haskell a week.

Until there's actually footage ill make my decision on it but my god some comments here are just calling for his head cause he has a "reputation" about him. People do relise that he has NEVER been cited before?

"Best, 29, joined Northampton from Ulster this summer. During a professional career of more than 150 games he had never previously been cited."

Pff

Agree with everything you say here ... I always got the impression that he was hard as nails, but fair and the fact that he has never been cited before says a lot about him.

Its amazing how quickly people want to hang him out to dry.

redroar1942

Good point. Goughing is ****ty though. Pity he was playing really well this season. Could'nt see him back in the Irish setup, unless Kidney radically changes the selection policies of the past ten years.

Sundy

redroar1942 wrote: »

Good point. Goughing is ****ty though. Pity he was playing really well this season. Could'nt see him back in the Irish setup, unless Kidney radically changes the selection policies of the past ten years.

I think Deco's middle name is going to be change from now on

phog

I'm a big fan of Best but if he did gouge then he deserves his ban (didn't see any footage), hopefully he'll wear the green jersey again as he has the kind of aggression that is lacking at times.

premierstone

Stev_o wrote: »

Haskell's no angel either though that's twice he's been in a very serious situation sure he headbutted and punched another player and the citing panel blamed the ref's and the citing commissioner and gave Haskell a week.

Until there's actually footage ill make my decision on it but my god some comments here are just calling for his head cause he has a "reputation" about him. People do relise that he has NEVER been cited before?

"Best, 29, joined Northampton from Ulster this summer. During a professional career of more than 150 games he had never previously been cited."

Pff

Since when does the victims record have anything to do with a cowardly act like this??

The fact that he has never been cited is irrelevant, he's luck just ran out!!

And the footage was on SSN last night and it is quite clear to see, there was no provocation, and it was intentional(ffs your fingers dont just end up in someones eyes) so best deserves he's ban and imo it should have been longer, I for one hope he never wears the green of Ireland again.

Noopti

premierstone wrote: »

I for one hope he never wears the green of Ireland again.

Probably down to a personal hang up on the guy rather than this one incident? Yes, this incident is horrible, but the guys records speaks for itself. Pity more Irish forwards aren't as abrasive and committed as he is. Quinlan is probably the only one who comes close.

premierstone

Noopti wrote: »

Probably down to a personal hang up on the guy rather than this one incident? Yes, this incident is horrible, but the guys records speaks for itself. Pity more Irish forwards aren't as abrasive and committed as he is. Quinlan is probably the only one who comes close.

Bit of both really if im to be perfectly honest (something that seems alien to alot of posters on this forum) - i'm fine with guys showing a bit of abrasiveness but the trick is to control it and i'v always really felt that Best was all brawn and no brain and im afraid this incident has done nothing to make me think otherwise

Eoin

What does "abrasive" actually mean in this context? I thought it was a player who would be in the opposition's face, and making hard hits etc. If it means sly little dirty tricks off the ball, then I'm not so sure I want Irish players to be abrasive.

Noopti

eoin_s wrote: »

What does "abrasive" actually mean in this context? I thought it was a player who would be in the opposition's face, and making hard hits etc. If it means sly little dirty tricks off the ball, then I'm not so sure I want Irish players to be abrasive.

Yes it does mean being in opposition faces, hard hits etc. And that is exactly what Best is about. Just because he did something stupid and dangerous once doesn't suddenly make him sly, or a dirty player. To be such he would have to be constantly at it.

Like what has been said before, he has never been cited before this incident. Let him serve his ban, and get back to being the player he was before this, ie: hard hitting with a good disciplinary record.

RugbyFanatic

thehighground wrote: »

Agree with everything you say here ... I always got the impression that he was hard as nails, but fair and the fact that he has never been cited before says a lot about him.

Its amazing how quickly people want to hang him out to dry.

I think I remember reading in the paper when Best was first coming into the international side that he used to get in a lot of trouble with the police for fighting as a youth, definitely a tough SOB.


I like Best as a player its refreshing to see an Irish player stand up to getting bullied on the pitch and actually bully the opposition back. Too many Irish players merely take it on the chin and try get on with their game but i've always felt that it has a huge mental effect on the players and their game. I can only think of 3 Irish players who are aggressive in this manner BOD, Best and Quinlan. NZ are masters at bullying the opposition and 'psychin' them out which to me just adds a whole new dimension to their game.

Though in this instance Best was in the wrong I can't agree with people rejoicing with the ban this is after all an in form Irish player and with the Autumn internationals coming up we can't afford to be losing players.

Eoin

Wasn't it Lawrence Dallaglio that asked where the hell Ireland found Leamy after one of the Internationals? From what I remember he gave Dallaglio a very tough time.

Noopti

When Ireland played the Baa-Bass recently Neil best was punched by Visage in a ruck, and they got into a fight. Visagie went off for stitches I think. Later, some other Baa-Baa's decided to get "revenge" when Best was on the deck and layed into him.....what did Bests teammates do....stood around and watched.
I bet if someone like Quinlan was playing he would have been in there helping his teammate.

Tim Robbins

Noopti wrote: »

When Ireland played the Baa-Bass recently Neil best was punched by Visage in a ruck, and they got into a fight. Visagie went off for stitches I think. Later, some other Baa-Baa's decided to get "revenge" when Best was on the deck and layed into him.....what did Bests teammates do....stood around and watched.
I bet if someone like Quinlan was playing he would have been in there helping his teammate.

If you are in a situation where you can guage someone's eyes you are in a position to throw them a good punch. The very fact, that someone opts to eye guage and run the risk of damaging someone's eye sight is just disgusting.

Noopti

Tim Robbins wrote: »

If you are in a situation where you can guage someone's eyes you are in a position to throw them a good punch. The very fact, that someone opts to eye guage and run the risk of damaging someone's eye sight is just disgusting.

That has nothing to do with my quote, but ok. I agree completely.
My previous post was highlighting a different point about their being a lack of abrasives/hard nuts/whatever you wanna call them, in the Irish team. As highlighted by my example.

Crash

That was a bit bollocks alright, most of the Irish players stood back expecting the ref to do something. Knowing that he should have carded best previously, he seemed to opt for the rough justice approach.

Thing I like about Best? the fact that that was one of the best punches I've ever seen thrown in a rugby game. If you're going to get yourself into trouble, might as well do it properly, or not at all. That and the one landed on Big Mal by ....cant remember who, that would have killed any man smaller than O'Kelly.

Things I dislike about Best? This. Very foolish for someone that has generally managed to keep what seems like one hell of a temper under control during games to go and do something like gouging.

Stev_o

premierstone wrote: »

Since when does the victims record have anything to do with a cowardly act like this??

The fact that he has never been cited is irrelevant, he's luck just ran out!!

And the footage was on SSN last night and it is quite clear to see, there was no provocation, and it was intentional(ffs your fingers dont just end up in someones eyes) so best deserves he's ban and imo it should have been longer, I for one hope he never wears the green of Ireland again.

Because someone who doesnt have a such a record is so more likely to go out and do such a thing compared to a player who has a record for this sort of thing :rolleyes:

I saw the footage on RugbyClub its a ruck ffs best and another player are clearly out best cant even see Haskell's head looks like he's trying to grab his headgear.


I hope he gets his sentenced halved and he can return in green.

Noopti

Going Forward wrote: »

That and the one landed on Big Mal by ....cant remember who, that would have killed any man smaller than O'Kelly.

I think that was Vickery. Hitting Mal from behind was a bit cowardly, and he sure layed into him. Was great that Mal just kind of shrugged it off...didn't affect him at all. lol

bamboozle

Noopti wrote: »

I think that was Vickery. Hitting Mal from behind was a bit cowardly, and he sure layed into him. Was great that Mal just kind of shrugged it off...didn't affect him at all. lol

yeah that one made my blood boil, think it was Julian White, and didnt he punch him about 5 or 6 times full on in the previous ruck.

Best is a thug, the fact no-one stepped in for him against the baba's is probably a reflection on his popularity within the irish set-up. yes he's agressive but he needs to channel it, hook how agressive BOD is in his tackles, remember that tackle against england in croker on the english full back- set the momentum for the game.
at the same time David Wallace for the size of him rarely puts in 'big' hits! ireland best number 8 that never was!

Noopti

Ah yes, it was White alright. I had a niggling feeling in the back of my head that it wasn't Vickery. Julian White though.....is a numpty. Yeah, he was hitting him in the ruck and then when Mal got up he layed into his head from behind.

Mal's has some neck on him. Playing great at the moment too.

Ulstermell0

Anyone know of any online footage?

sorry for anyone eating thier breakfast but what sort of gouge was it? first knuckle, scond knuckle? or just a bit of severe pressure on the eye?!

Noopti

I haven't seen any footage, so just going by the RFU report. I think the disciplinary panel went mainly on Best's own admission of guilt more than anything else.

bamboozle

Noopti wrote: »

Ah yes, it was White alright. I had a niggling feeling in the back of my head that it wasn't Vickery. Julian White though.....is a numpty. Yeah, he was hitting him in the ruck and then when Mal got up he layed into his head from behind.

Mal's has some neck on him. Playing great at the moment too.

if memory serves me White's resulting ban was a week from his club, he also got another internal ban last may for stamping, he's an idiot but the length of bans in the GP for english internationl's is pathetic.

Also, the burger king Andy Good (appetite) was also sinbinned against Leinster that day for a cowardly hit on BOD.

JWAD

bamboozle wrote: »

at the same time David Wallace for the size of him rarely puts in 'big' hits!

He is the same size give or take a kg or two as Rodney So'oaialo, who is probably the best no.8 playing at the moment. Also around that size is Richard Brown, the very promising Aussie who had a stonker of a debut agains the All Blacks in the last Bledisloe Cup game after a great Super 14 season.

premierstone

Stev_o wrote: »

Because someone who doesnt have a such a record is so more likely to go out and do such a thing compared to a player who has a record for this sort of thing :rolleyes:

Just means he's never been caught before actually, jaysius you wud make a great defence lawyer - '' but your honour he's been out for over 150 saturday nights and he never commited GBH before''

razorblunt

Dallaglio's comments were about Johnny O'Connor after a Wasps-Connacht friendly which led to Wasps signing him.

Bernard Jackman stood there watching Mal get a thumping from White and did nothing as well.

I still thing the best fighting head on examples was the famous Willie John McBride line out call for the Lions against SA and Martin Johnson against the Waratahs.

Crash

premierstone wrote: »

Just means he's never been caught before actually, jaysius you wud make a great defence lawyer - '' but your honour he's been out for over 150 saturday nights and he never commited GBH before''

Premierstone: its a better record than many an irish player.

premierstone

Going Forward wrote: »

Premierstone: its a better record than many an irish player.

Are these the same Irish players been slagged off here for not been abraisive enough and shying back?? Cant have it both ways, anyway i think we've gone a bit off topic here the simple fact is what he did is inexcusable and cowardly tbh and if the roles were reversed all and sundry on here would be calling for Heskell to be banned for at least 6 months also does anyone not think that Best and Northampton are taking a bit of a risk with the appeal and the ban may actually be increased if the appeal board decide it was intentional??

Noopti

premierstone wrote: »

Just means he's never been caught before actually, jaysius you wud make a great defence lawyer - '' but your honour he's been out for over 150 saturday nights and he never commited GBH before''

Caught doing what exactly?

Chucky the tree

the comments from people here who havent even seen the incident or read the full reports is quality. Like a bunch of Mod flanders. "oh wont someone think of the children!"


Seriously, how can someone who hasnt seen the incdient call for a 3year/life ban?


The minimum sentence is 6 weeks, the maximum is 3 years and best is given 18 weeks, just 3 times the minimum. does that no tell people something?


Anyway he's decided to appeal it.

Stev_o

Any of the so and so hangman here like to give us all a example of Best doing something so extensively bad that he deserved a huge citing??

And if someone says he threw a punch you shouldnt be even on the Rugby forum dew to the fact uv probably never played the game.

Trojan

Ok, here we go:

http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=S9lUtfzjPU4

Stev_o

Trojan wrote: »

Ok, here we go:

http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=S9lUtfzjPU4

Bah Humbug i was just about to post it.

JWAD

Stev_o wrote: »

And if someone says he threw a punch you shouldnt be even on the Rugby forum dew to the fact uv probably never played the game.

:rolleyes:
Not very well spelt either.

Stev_o

JWAD wrote: »

:rolleyes:
Not very well spelt either.

Come again?