Henson to miss three Six Nations matches
Ospreys and Wales centre Gavin Henson was banned for 10 weeks and two days after a two-hour disciplinary hearing in Glasgow today.
The disciplinary panel ruled Henson had intentionally struck Italian international prop Alex Moreno with his elbow during last Sunday’s ill-tempered Heineken Cup match between the Ospreys and Leicester Tigers at the Liberty Stadium.
A second charge that he had then kicked Moreno was not upheld and that citing was dismissed.
The ban means Henson will miss the first three matches of Wales’ defence of their RBS Six Nations title.
Given Henson’s lack of match practice this season because of injury it seems unlikely he will be ready to play in their match against Italy – which would be his first game after the ban comes to an end.
It rounds off a miserable second half of the year for Henson who struggled to command a place in the Test team during the British and Irish Lions’ tour of New Zealand this summer, and was cited after playing in only his second game of the current season after undergoing a groin operation in September.
Earlier today Henson’s club-mate Ian Evans was banned for eight weeks and two days after he accepted he had stamped on Leicester and England scrum-half Harry Ellis during the same match.
The independent disciplinary committee, which heard the case, comprised of Chairman Rod McKenzie (Scottish Rugby Union), Dr Barry O’Driscoll (Irish Rugby Football Union) and Professor Lorne Crerar (SRU).
