Rhodes cleared after citing

NEWS: Saracens flank Michael Rhodes has had a citing complaint against him dismissed.

Rhodes fronted up to a disciplinary hearing on Tuesday, arising from his club’s Champions Cup 25-17 quarterfinal win against Leinster.

Rhodes was alleged to have committed an act of foul play in that he struck the Leinster centre, Robbie Henshaw, with his head in the second minute of the match in Dublin in contravention of Law 9.12.

The complaint was made by the match citing commissioner, Beth Dickens (Scotland).

The disciplinary committee – comprising Simon Thomas (Wales), as Chairman, Frank Hadden (Scotland) and Val Toma (Romania) – heard evidence by video conference from Rhodes, who did not accept the charge, from the player’s legal representative, Paul Harris and from the EPCR disciplinary officer Liam McTiernan.

The Saracens Director of Rugby Mark McCall and the Saracens team manager Warrick Lang were also present.

The Committee decided that Rhodes had committed an act of foul play.

However, it was not proven to the required standard that contact had been made to Henshaw’s head.

The Committee concluded that the act of foul play did not warrant a red card and the citing complaint was therefore dismissed.

Rhodes is free to play and EPCR has the right to appeal the decision.

Michael ‘head-banger’ Rhodes

Sarries MOTM from Saturday cited for this awkward nutting of Robbie Henshaw

Would love to see another angle as it looks a mix of clumsy and reckless here pic.twitter.com/UCWwpDGI7D

— Pat McCarry (@patmccarry) September 21, 2020