Plenty Of Fall Out From The Italian Job

Match commissioner Rob Flockhart is understood to be looking into an alleged bite on Simon Easterby during the international on Saturday

Match commissioner Rob Flockhart is understood to be looking into an alleged bite on Simon Easterby during the international on Saturday. According to a report on Planet Rugby, Ireland coach Eddie O’Sullivan said that an investigation was being set up to look at the matter.

“One of our players, Simon Easterby, was bitten on the arm by an Italian. The match commissioner is looking at it now,” O’Sullivan is quoted as having said.

“A substantial mark has been left but the doctor took a look at it and said Simon is okay. We mentioned our concern to the referee but he couldn’t do anything because he didn’t see the incident.

“This shouldn’t happen – there is no place in the game for things like this.”

That is unlikely to be the only matter that Flockhart will be asked to look at.

Italian coach Pierre Berbizier was far from enamoured with the performance of referee Dave Pearson. Beside the official’s refusal to ‘go upstairs’ for judgement on Ireland’s second try, Berbezier mentioned two incidents of stamping involving Brian O’Driscoll and Denis Leamy that he believes warrant investigation.

Besides that, in the opening exchanges, an Ireland player lying on the wrong side of a ruck in the Ireland 22, looked to have deliberately knocked the ball out of Italian scrum-half Paul Griffen’s hands, only for Pearson to award Ireland a knock-on.