by Brendan Cole
Ulster have named a full extended squad ahead of their RaboDirect Pro12 clash with Connacht on Saturday but there are fears that prop John Afoa could be banned for a key part of the season.
Afoa has been cited for an alleged dangerous tackle on Felix Jones during the second half of Ulster's Heineken Cup quarter-final win over Munster.
A hearing will take place on Thursday, 12 April to determine whether Afoa should be sanctioned. The citing complaint was made by English match commissioner Peter Larter.
It will be chaired by Jean-Nöel Couraud of France. Law 10.4 (j) prohibits lifting players up and driving the them into the ground either head or upper-body first.
Afoa, a New Zealand international, has been a highly influential factor in Ulster's successful season to date.
If he is banned, sanctions could range from three weeks for lower end offences, six weeks for mid-range offences and from 10 to 52 weeks for top end offences.
Suspensions can also be amended on the basis of a player's conduct at the hearing and previous record.
Ahead of the hearing, head coach Brian McLaughlin has named a full squad that includes Afoa for this Saturday’s clash with Connacht.
Ulster second row Dan Tuohy: "We’re still fighting on two fronts, being in fifth place in the PRO12. Glasgow have a tough run in and so do we but it would be nice to get something from the last three games. We want to try to get two trophies. We’ve not achieved anything yet, we’ve got a scalp (against Munster)."
No substitutions during the victory over Munster and there are no fitness concerns about any players. Brian McLaughlin’s men are a point behind current third and fourth placed teams Munster and Glasgow Warriors, who are to play eachother on Saturday night at Musgrave Park.
Ulster have not lost to Connacht since 2005, and having collected 31 points from a possible 40 in their last eight league matches.
The tackle rule has caused significant controversy in recent months. In 2009, a directive on the subject urging stricter sanctions for "spear"/"tip" tackles was issued by the IRB in which players' hips are raised above their head. This directive was re-emphaised two weeks before the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
In that tournament, Wales captain Sam Warburton was red-carded for a tackle on Vincent Clerc during his side’s semi-final defeat to France. Warburton subsequently received a ‘low end’ three week ban.
The tackle also proved controversial in the RBS 6 Nations, Wales second row Bradley Davies was yellow carded and subsequently received a seven-week ban for an off the ball spear ‘tackle’ on Donnacha Ryan during Ireland’s RBS 6 Nations defeat to France. Wales manager Warren Gatland admitted that Davies should have been red-carded.
In the same match, Stephen Ferris was penalised and yellow carded for a tackle on Ian Evan in the final minute. Wales, who went on to win the Grand Slam, kicked the winning points from the penalty. Ferris was subsequently not punished by a citing committee.
In that instance, the committee said that the tackle should not have been penalised in the first place. A subsequent IRB statement backed referee Wayne Barnes in that instance.
Barnes and Dave Pearson, the referee and linesman involved in the Ferris and Davies incidents, were not included in the group of referees selected for Test match action in June.
Munster released a further update on their injured players James Coughlan and Keith Earls.
It has been confirmed that Coughlan will need surgery on a fractured bone in his hand and he will be out for six weeks, ruling him out at a key stage of Munster's bid to retain their RaboDirect Pro12 crown.
Earls will miss this weekend's clash with Glasgow Warriors and is to have a scan on the injury to determine its seriousness.
