Iain Henderson faces an anxious wait to discover the consequences of his contentious, 74th-minute red card in Saturday's 23-23 draw at the Kingspan Stadium. The Ulster blindside flanker will most likely face a disciplinary hearing in either Scotland or Wales, tomorrow or Wednesday.
The Pro12 will now compile video and written evidence, including a report by referee Nigel Owens, possibly both managers and maybe even a medical report, before confirming the date and time of the automatic disciplinary hearing. Ulster head coach Neil Doak has said they will appeal the red card itself and any suspension.
A ban in excess of two or three playing weeks would carry into next season and the World Cup warm-up matches.
Doak did “not have a chance to speak to him (Henderson) yet but I think he would say he didn’t have any malice or anything into it. We’ll have a look at it and see what comes through in the next couple of days.”
But in the event of any disciplinary hearing coming to pass, Doak made clear that Ulster would defend the player to the hilt. “If he’s banned we would definitely appeal it.”
Ulster will argue that Henderson’s red card merited a yellow at worse, but if found guilty of striking with the head under World Rugby’s Law 10.4, the recommended suspensions range from four weeks (lower end) to eight weeks (mid range) or 16+ weeks (top end).
A home semi-final is now out of both teams’ hands, but particularly so Ulster, who have the toughest assignment away to Glasgow and even if they won would need Munster to slip up at home to the Dragons or Connacht to beat the Ospreys.
“We’re in the thought process of going to Glasgow and getting a result,” said Doak. “Obviously we’ve got to rely on someone else doing us a favour. So we’ll be focusing on Glasgow. They obviously had a difficult game last night and didn’t get the result that they were looking for.”
Doak said that Craig Gilroy would "hopefully" be back this week, but ruled out a surprise return for Andrew Trimble next week, as the winger "is just returning from his rehab and has got a few weeks to go yet".
Munster sit third in a three-way tie on 70 points by dint of winning one game less than the Ospreys and Glasgow, but a win with a bonus point would seal a home semi-final provided the two teams above both don’t obtain the same five-point haul, as Munster have the best points difference.
Fighting hard
Noting that no semi-final has ever been won by an away side in five years and 10 attempts, Munster head coach Anthony Foley added: "that says it all in itself. That's why everyone's fighting that hard. Everybody wants one. Glasgow, Ospreys want their one in the Liberty, Ulster would like to have two weeks in a row here in Ravenhill, so everybody has their goal.
“Our goal is to play one in Thomond Park and we need to do a job next weekend. It won’t be easy, it’ll be a very tough contest for us and it’s about getting a good week’s preparation in and turning up in Cork with a big support behind us and going after the Dragons.”
