Exiles coach banned for key games
London Irish director of rugby Brian Smith has been banned for three weeks and given a £2,000 (€2,900) fine after pleading guilty to abusing match officials.
Smith is banned from all match-day coaching until May 23, including Irish’s Guinness Premiership semi-final and the European Challenge Cup final against Gloucester.
The suspension prevents him from accessing all technical areas, including the tunnel, the changing rooms and the touchline.
Smith was also ordered to pay £250 (€364) costs by a Rugby Football Union disciplinary panel in Bristol.
Smith was charged with "conduct prejudicial to the interests of the union and the game" following a Guinness A League game between London Irish and Gloucester on March 27.
He had been furious at referee Nick Williams and touchjudge James Minards over their handling of the second team game at Gloucester, which London Irish ’A’ won 12-7 in appalling conditions.
The club had vowed to launch a robust defence – but in the end Smith can count himself fortunate the penalty was not more severe.
The minimum entry-level suspension for a coach found guilty of verbally abusing match officials is six weeks, reduced only by mitigating circumstances.
The precedents did not bode well for Smith or London Irish. Last year, Northampton boss Budge Pountney was suspended for six weeks and fined £2,000 (€2,900) for calling referee Steve Lander “a disgrace” in a post-match press conference.
And in 2001, Dean Ryan was handed a four-week ban and a similar fine for labelling referee Tim Ryan as “inadequate“.
But should London Irish win their Premiership semi-final, Smith’s ban will have expired in time for the Twickenham Grand Final on May 27.
