Saracens This article is more than 1 month oldBilly Vunipola available for Saracens after red card overturned
This article is more than 1 month old- No 8 was sent off in Champions Cup against Bulls
- Committee ruled insufficient force used in strike to head
The red card Billy Vunipola received during Saracens’ Champions Cup game against the Bulls on Saturday in South Africa has been overturned. It means the England No 8 is available for the European appointment with Connacht on Saturday.
Vunipola was sent off early in the second half by the Italian referee, Andrea Piardi, for a dangerous strike to the head area of the Bulls forward Cameron Hanekom. The 31-year-old, who appeared by video link before an independent disciplinary panel, accepted he had committed an act of foul play, but not that it warranted a red card.
European Professional Club Rugby said: “The committee determined Vunipola had committed an act of foul play. However, it decided there was insufficient force in the contact to Hanekom’s head to warrant a red card, and the red card was therefore overturned. Vunipola is free to play immediately and EPCR has the right to appeal the decision.”
Reflecting on the outcome the Saracens rugby director, Mark McCall, said: “It was good news for us and probably the right decision. The panel heard and saw all the evidence and decided it was a yellow card, not red, and we are grateful to have Billy available immediately.”
Meanwhile Vunipola’s Saracens teammate Ben Earl is on course to make his playing return before the Champions Cup fixtures next month.
The England flanker, who excelled at the World Cup, sustained a knee injury during the warm-up for the Premiership game against Harlequins in November. Earl left the ground on crutches and underwent surgery, but he continues to make encouraging progress.
“Hopefully, we are going to have Ben back quite soon,” McCall said. “I think Newcastle [30 December] is a possibility, probably Leicester the week after.”
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