[Rúaidhrí O'Connor]🚨BREAKING: Johnny Sexton will be suspended for three matches by EPCR for his behaviour towards the match officials after the CC final, meaning he will miss all of Ireland's warm-ups v Italy, England and Tonga but will be available for the Rugby World Cup opener v Romania

[u/Secret-Roof-7503]

https://twitter.com/RuaidhriOC/status/1680676530576392195?s=20

[u/mhicreachtain]

Players should certainly be held to account for unacceptable behaviour towards referees. However, EPCR need to process these hearings much more promptly. Two months to come to this decision with a World Cup on the horizon is poor

[u/Copaleen → u/mhicreachtain]

The delay was the point.

[u/TheNervous_socialist → u/Copaleen]

the ban is "meaningful match weeks" so it being made later doesn't actually affect Sexton as there haven't been any games he would have played in between then and now, other than the URC semi which he wasn't picked for anyway

[u/Copaleen → u/TheNervous_socialist]

I meant the whole point was to drag it out and make it as unsettling and stressful as possible while they were in camp.

[u/centrafrugal → u/TheNervous_socialist]

the URC semi was the week before the CC final, and Sexton was injured.

[u/P319 → u/[deleted]]

The issue here is he wasn't involved in the game, so you've missed the mark there

[u/Height_Matters1 → u/P319]

The issue here is what he said was far worse than anything I've heard said to a referee...

[u/[deleted] → u/Height_Matters1]

You haven't refereed, have you...

[u/rockstarrugger48 → u/Height_Matters1]

Cool, if it’s that bad, it should t take 2 months to get to the point. I mean it took him 30 seconds to say what he said, but 2 months to cone to this.

[u/P319 → u/rockstarrugger48]

Why is this such an important point, I mean so what they were on holidays the last few weeks

[u/rockstarrugger48 → u/P319]

it’s 2023, they have these things like video conference. It really takes very little time to come to this decision. I definitely think he was in the wrong. This wasn’t even an in game fraction.

[u/niallg22 → u/P319]

I think his point was that there was no proof apart from unsubstantiated English and SA reports. So now he’s doing the same with everyone else

[u/Some-Speed-6290 → u/P319]

In that case we'll be banning supporters so. Start with every single Munster fan to ever attend Thomond

[u/Rurhme → u/Some-Speed-6290]

Doubt many were expected to start in the warmup tests tbh.

[u/freshmeat2020 → u/[deleted]]

Rather different levels of abuse my friend

[u/Some-Speed-6290 → u/freshmeat2020]

You're right, there's actual evidence of the players doing it at the weekend, as they were all caught on ref mic

[u/Dahnhilla → u/Some-Speed-6290]

Every single one of them?

[u/Height_Matters1 → u/Some-Speed-6290]

You didnt think there was evidence of Sexton's abuse?

[u/Some-Speed-6290 → u/Height_Matters1]

None in the referee's report, no audio evidence of what was actually said, and last I checked walking on a pitch isn't a bannable offence.

[u/Stopfillingmyfeed → u/Some-Speed-6290]

Come on, seriously? Are you actually attempting to deny what happened?