BROWN’S QUINS CAREER ENDED BY STAMP BAN
Six weeks for reckless foul play spoils star’s dream finale
MIKE BROWN’S worst fears have been realised with his Harlequins career brought to an abrupt end by a six-week ban.
Quins’ longest-serving player was hoping to go out in a blaze of play-off glory before he joins Newcastle this summer. Instead he will not add to his 351 appearances after paying the price for being sent off for stamping on the face of Wasps’ Tommy Taylor.
An RFU disciplinary panel accepted the former England full-back’s action had not been deliberate – despite referee Wayne Barnes labelling it “highly reckless foul play” during Sunday’s Premiership clash. They even cut his punishment in half from the ‘top end’ starting point of 12 weeks due to it being his first ever red card.
But he still misses Quins’ final four league games plus the two play-off games they will have if they maintain their top-four position.
The panel said it reviewed “extensive” video footage and listened to the explanation given by Brown, who does have the right of appeal. “The player has an unblemished disciplinary record over a long and illustrious career,” said the panel in a statement.
“He accepted the charge at the earliest opportunity and impressed the panel with his honesty and obvious contrition throughout the hearing.”
Brown is still raging over the way Quins told him in a fourminute meeting he was being
released after a lifetime service to the Londoners.
England hooker Tom Dunn was also handed a seasonending ban, a four-week suspension for his red card tackle for Bath against Bristol.
The British and Irish Lions have confirmed that those players sent a ‘save the date’ email who were not selected for the 37-man squad are all on Warren Gatland’s standby list. of
These include Manu Tuilagi, Kyle Sinckler, Ben Spencer, Marcus Smith and Danny Care.
The Lions are on terrestrial TV for the first time since rugby turned professional when Channel 4 show their warm-up match with Japan live from Murrayfield on June 26. Channel 4 has also secured highlights of the three-Test series against South Africa.