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Harlequins are set to appeal the 12-month ban imposed on full-back Tom Williams and £215,000 club fine for faking a blood injury.
After hearing three days of evidence, Heineken Cup organisers decided that Williams had not suffered a mouth cut during their 6-5 quarter-final defeat by Leinster at the Twickenham Stoop on 12 April.
At the time, Leinster officials had complained about Williams's blood-injury replacement that allowed him to be replaced by fly-half Nick Evans, who had earlier left the pitch with a knee injury.
Quins chief executive Mark Evans has always strenuously denied rumours of a blood capsule being used and he is now taking legal advice about a possible appeal.
The three-man ERC disciplinary committee stunned the Guinness Premiership club representatives yesterday by banning Williams and imposing the huge fine - half of which is suspended for two years.
In a statement, the club said: "Harlequins are both surprised and disappointed at the decision, particularly so in the light of the acquittal of Dean Richards (director of rugby), Steph Brennan (physio) and Dr Wendy Chapman on similar or identical charges.
"The club and the player will consider their position in the light of the written judgement due to be handed down."
An ERC spokesman said: "It was the view of the Committee that this was a very serious offence and one that damaged the reputation of the tournament and of rugby union."
Reader views (5)
A fair punishment for a despicable attempt to tarnish the game of Rugby, and one which will surely provole the fans into ensuring that this style of play is stamped out for good.
- Alan Obrien, Walworth, London
No wonder Rugby is a joke game when the people who run it are such morons.
- Kerry Trubee, Purley
what a joke the pictures i've seen clearly show williams spitting blood.if the erc think a blood capsule was used,what was the evidence?and if it was used then there must be collusion between all the quins coaches and must have had a blood capsule ready 'just in case'in which case harlequins should be thrown out of the heineken cup and fined heavily.but no,put all the blame on williams,ERC CLOWNS
- Russel, hitchin
Despite the usual joy (speaking as an Exiles supporter) from any schadenfreude involving Harlequins, this decision is frankly risable
If the club and player are to be sanctioned for cheating, then presumably both Dean Richards and his medical staff knew about the plan ? If not, who were the architects of it and what are the authorities doing about investgating that ?
Not much it seems, so the architects of the plan have escaped any form of sanction
- John, Twickenham
Once again, the blazers have really got it spot on by ensuring that the punishment fits the crime. After all this is clearly a much more heinous crime against the game, than say sticking ones fingers in a chaps eyes and risking his sight for the rest of his life. Well done ERC, keep up the standards of complete farce that we have come to demand of rugby administrators. Yours, with my tongue firmly in a blood capsule secreted in my mounth. shane thornton
- Shane Thornton, cambridge, england
