Ono slapped with week suspension
The SANZAAR Duty Judicial Officer Michael Heron has accepted a guilty plea from Ono for contravening Law 10.4 (a) Striking with head. Ono contravened the law during the match at GIO Stadium in Canberra.
Ono received a sanction of one week, covering one scheduled match, with his next scheduled match being Japan against Canada on June 11. Consequently he is suspended up to and including June 11.
Michael Heron assessed the case and in his finding, Heron ruled the following: " [Ono], Shogo Tanaka and his legal counsel Crabtree attended on the call. [All three] submitted that there was no intention to strike the Brumbies player and the motions he engaged in with his head were part of his body movements to assist the driving maul succeed. The player accepted there was foul play in that his conduct was reckless and there was a risk of injury in the circumstances.
"Ono has a remarkable disciplinary record in that he has not been cited or received a red card before this," Heron added.
Crabtree made submissions to the effect that the incident was a low end entry point because it was not intentional and no injury resulted from the indident.
Heron considered all these features, he stated: "The appropriate entry point for the conduct was low end, and an entry point of four weeks was appropriate. I considered that Ono should receive at least the maximum discount of 50% given the factors above.
"Further to that, I considered that a suspension of two weeks would be wholly disproportionate to the conduct involved, accepting that this was reckless behaviour and not intentional use of the head. In particular the player's exceptional disciplinary record made it very unlikely he would intend to strike another player with his head. The statement from the referee supported that.
"Taking all that into account, I reached the conclusion that a suspension of one week was appropriate, which would include the next scheduled match on June 11, being Japan vs Canada," Heron added.
