Richards tight-lipped after ban

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Richards' coaching career was left in tatters on Monday night after the 46-year-old admitted his part in the 'Bloodgate' scandal at an ERC independent appeals committee, which lasted almost 14 hours at Glasgow's Radisson Hotel.

"I took full responsibility for it. It was a farcical situation, it really was," said Richards.

"It didn't pan out particularly well on the day. Everybody looked at it and thought, 'That's unreal', which is what I thought on the touchline as well."

The former Quins director of rugby was found to be at the centre of a cover-up over an incident in the club's Heineken Cup quarter-final defeat to Leinster in April in which wing Tom Williams faked a facial cut.

Richards was also found to have been involved in four similar incidents, hence the severity of his punishment, which applies to ERC-organised tournaments but which the independent appeals committee will request is extended worldwide.

Richards, who resigned last weekend, refused to comment on whether faking blood injuries was part of an concerted club strategy.

He also denied any knowledge of Williams' face being deliberately cut after the April 12 Leinster game to hide the fact the player had used a fake blood capsule on the field of play.

Richards said: "I have no knowledge of that. I wasn't party to anything going on there.

"I'm not aware that it did happen. I know that he had a cut but I don't know how it came about because I wasn't in the room."