Fingers to the face. Right across the eye. Leo Cullen’s reaction says it all. In slow-mo it certainly looks like the Quinlan was scraping Cullen’s face. But is it a full on gouge? Quinlan will have a few nervous days before the citing commission convene. He will definitely face a hearing and given the stage of his career I would imagine he will risk an appeal if found guilty. Bear in mind that Neil Best got 18 weeks earlier this season for gouging James Haskell having admitted intent. If Quinlan pleads not-guilty he may be facing a bigger problem than just missing a Lions tour.
Either way, allowing this to happen is incredibly stupid on Quinlan’s part. Any game covered by Sky will not miss a beat in breakdowns that open up to the cameras. Given the surprise at Quinlan’s selection and the reputation he has fostered as an ‘annoying player,’ its no real shock that the cameras picked this up yesterday.
Any physical game like rugby is going to create moments where players are right on the edge. This is understandable, however gouging cannot be condoned, regardless of degree.
