French scrum-half Julien Dupuy has appealed against his 24 week ban for eye-gouging Ulster’s Stephen Ferris in their Heineken Cup meeting at Ravenhill last week.
The Stade Francais number nine was handed the lengthy suspension on Friday after television pictures showed him twice place his hands in the face and eye area of the Ulster back row in the second half of the feisty encounter which Stade lost 23-13.
In the days following the game Dupuy had refuted claims of foul play telling French media:
"The pictures aren't really in my favor but I really didn't mean to put my fingers in his eyes” adding that “I don't think I'm a dirty player.''
But a statement from the European Rugby Commission (ERC) said that the independent Judicial Officer, Jeff Blackett found that “the offence was at the top end in the level of seriousness”
The existing suspension would see Dupuy out of action until June missing the springs Six Nations competition and France coach Marc Lievremont has encouraged his first choice scrum half to appeal “I hope Julien or his club appeals and that his punishment is adjusted to something more reasonable,”
Lievremont added that without a reduction in his sentence the 26 year old can rule out an inclusion in les Bleus squad for summer tests against the Springboks:
“If he hasn't played for six months, it's totally out of the question that he'll leave for South Africa a week after the end of his suspension. It's obvious: if the sanction is upheld, his season is over”
Max Guazzini, president of Stade Francais has agreed with Lievremont that the suspension was not reasonable, and has suggested the hard line approach was taken only because the player was a high profile French international:
"The ERC wanted to make an example of a symbolic player of Stade Francais and of the French team which has never had a disciplinary problem,”
Dupuy may face an extension to the season ending ban if his appeal is not upheld.
The Stade Francais number nine was handed the lengthy suspension on Friday after television pictures showed him twice place his hands in the face and eye area of the Ulster back row in the second half of the feisty encounter which Stade lost 23-13.
In the days following the game Dupuy had refuted claims of foul play telling French media:
"The pictures aren't really in my favor but I really didn't mean to put my fingers in his eyes” adding that “I don't think I'm a dirty player.''
But a statement from the European Rugby Commission (ERC) said that the independent Judicial Officer, Jeff Blackett found that “the offence was at the top end in the level of seriousness”
The existing suspension would see Dupuy out of action until June missing the springs Six Nations competition and France coach Marc Lievremont has encouraged his first choice scrum half to appeal “I hope Julien or his club appeals and that his punishment is adjusted to something more reasonable,”
Lievremont added that without a reduction in his sentence the 26 year old can rule out an inclusion in les Bleus squad for summer tests against the Springboks:
“If he hasn't played for six months, it's totally out of the question that he'll leave for South Africa a week after the end of his suspension. It's obvious: if the sanction is upheld, his season is over”
Max Guazzini, president of Stade Francais has agreed with Lievremont that the suspension was not reasonable, and has suggested the hard line approach was taken only because the player was a high profile French international:
"The ERC wanted to make an example of a symbolic player of Stade Francais and of the French team which has never had a disciplinary problem,”
Dupuy may face an extension to the season ending ban if his appeal is not upheld.
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