Jamie Heaslip says red card hearing was 'like a murder trial'

David900

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/aug/02/ireland-jamie-heaslip-hearing-murder-trial

Ireland's Jamie Heaslip was banned for five weeks in June for kneeing the New Zealand captain, Richie McCaw. Photograph: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

The Ireland No8 Jamie Heaslip has compared the fall-out from his red card against New Zealand to being on trial for murder. Heaslip was sent off 15 minutes into Ireland's record 66-28 defeat in New Plymouth for kneeing the All Blacks captain, Richie McCaw. The 26-year-old then had to run the New Zealand media gauntlet as he attended a disciplinary hearing, which resulted in a five-week ban.

Speaking publicly about the incident for the first time in the 50th anniversary issue of Rugby World, Heaslip insisted he had been irresponsible rather than malicious. But he admitted the whole experience had taught him a valuable lesson.

Heaslip said: "I know the media are intense in New Zealand when it comes to rugby, but bloody hell! When I got to the hotel for the hearing there were loads of TV cameras and photographers – it was like a murder trial or something.

"I'd never go into any game with the objective to hurt someone. It's not Tiddlywinks out there; I play the game hard and respect players who play hard, Richie being one of them, but I'd never want to hurt another player. Frustration got the better of me, maybe I didn't ruck responsibly, and I suffered the consequences.

"It's not something I'm proud of and being the only Ireland player to be sent off in professional rugby is not a great record, but I'm a big boy and I've learnt a lot. It's a life lesson."

Rugby World marked their anniversary by running a poll to find the best player from each of the lpast five decades. The magazine's readers voted the Ireland centre Mike Gibson, a five-time Lions tourist, as player of the 1960s with the Wales scrum-half Gareth Edwards the pick of the 1970s. French maestro Serge Blanco was named player of the 1980s, the New Zealand winger Jonah Lomu the star of the 1990s and Ireland centre Brian O'Driscoll took the honour for the last decade ahead of Jonny Wilkinson and McCaw.

thebossanova

Sensationalist headline.

subfreq

Jamie Heaslip wrote:

maybe I didn't ruck responsibly

I'm pretty sure there is no maybe about it.

It's in the past now though. Hope he picks up where he left off at the tail end of last season. It was awesome to watch.

razorblunt

Can't blame anyone but himself really.

wonton

Did he say he was the only irish player to be sent off ever!?

Judgement Day

I wish I hadn't read that now. They say that time (and advancing senile decay) is a great healer and I had already forgotten the scale of the defeat 66-28.....OMG........aghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!

tolosenc

wonton wrote: »

Did he say he was the only irish player to be sent off ever!?

Thus far, he is.

Teej

wonton wrote: »

Did he say he was the only irish player to be sent off ever!?

Representative player. Other Irish been red carded when representing clubs.

nzae86

tolosenc wrote: »

Thus far, he is.

No he's not; Willie Duggan from memory was sent off in the 70's playing against wales. Heaslip is the 1st in the pro era,

Eric Miller kick on Foley Celtic League Final 00/01ish
Hayes Stamp last yr
brent pope ail final 12/12+ yrs ago
are the only other high profile irish players i can remember being sent off either club or country anyone have any others?

ozt9vdujny3srf

nzae86 wrote: »

brent pope ail final 12/12+ yrs ago

Brent Pope who was coaching Mary's?

outwest

he thinks what he did was rucking, what a load of ****e, if a player did it here our media would be the same,


as he says it not tiddlewinks being played, but its not ultimate fighting their playing either, its rugby, what he did was wrong, he should of kept his mouth shut about the occasion

cruiserweight

nzae86 wrote: »

Heaslip is the 1st in the pro era,

Which is what he is quoted as saying in the article

pwd

Headline is incorrect, and is ironic. He said the media frenzy was like something from a murder trial; he did not say the hearing itself was like a murder trial.

nzae86

Angelica Scary Martian wrote: »

Brent Pope who was coaching Mary's?

ya brent pope, around 92 or 93 from memory

nzae86

cruiserweight wrote: »

Which is what he is quoted as saying in the article

ya and someone above said he was the first irish pleyer, i was only pointing out first in pro era, willie duggan was the other

Ciaran-Irl

"Rugby World marked their anniversary by running a poll to find the best player from each of the lpast five decades. The magazine's readers voted the Ireland centre Mike Gibson, a five-time Lions tourist, as player of the 1960s with the Wales scrum-half Gareth Edwards the pick of the 1970s. French maestro Serge Blanco was named player of the 1980s, the New Zealand winger Jonah Lomu the star of the 1990s and Ireland centre Brian O'Driscoll took the honour for the last decade ahead of Jonny Wilkinson and McCaw."

Might be fun to do a poll for each decade to see if we agree on the best for each? I have a subscription to that magazine, so I could do it up if anyone cared.

LostinBlanch

Well as long as he learns from it and doesn't do something so stupid again.

Luckycharm

Angelica Scary Martian wrote: »

Brent Pope who was coaching Mary's?[/QUOTE]

No Brent Pope first came to Ireland to play number 8 for St marys. He got sent off in the biggest attended AIL final in history- I think he might have broken the other guys jaw with the punch. :eek: You could hear it from the West upper!!

ozt9vdujny3srf

Luckycharm wrote: »

No Brent Pope first came to Ireland to play number 8 for St marys. He got sent off in the biggest attended AIL final in history- I think he might have broken the other guys jaw with the punch. :eek: You could hear it from the West upper!!

Ahh fair enough, got confused by the time frame the poster put it in, seeing as he coached Mary's to the AIL more than 10 years ago he was hardly playing for them 12 years ago.

Goodluck2me

Luckycharm wrote: »

Angelica Scary Martian wrote: »

Brent Pope who was coaching Mary's?[/QUOTE]

No Brent Pope first came to Ireland to play number 8 for St marys. He got sent off in the biggest attended AIL final in history- I think he might have broken the other guys jaw with the punch. :eek: You could hear it from the West upper!!

It was only a scrum half whose Jaw he broke too, absolute thug.