Ireland flanker Shane Jennings has lost his appeal against a 12-week suspension for gouging.
Leinster 'mystified' by decision to uphold 12-week ban
Ireland flanker Shane Jennings has lost his appeal against a 12-week suspension for gouging.
Jennings was handed the suspension for 'making contact with the eye area' of Nick Kennedy in Leinster's 12-9 Heineken Cup defeat by London Irish on October 9.
An independent committee in Dublin dismissed the appeal on Thursday after finding that Jennings had not demonstrated the original decision had been made in error or that it should be overturned or varied.
Jennings will resume playing on January 7, ruling him out of Ireland's autumn internationals against Australia, Fiji and South Africa.
Over-reacted
The 28-year-old will also miss Leinster's next two rounds of the Heineken Cup - home and away fixtures against the Scarlets.
The European champions were dismayed when the original verdict - which imposed the entry point sanction for a low-end offence - was delivered eight days ago because of the lack of video evidence.
It was also thought his chances of having the suspension overturned or reduced would have improved with Kennedy's subsequent admission that he over-reacted to the first-half incident.
But Jennings, who has five caps, appears to have suffered from the International Rugby Board's crackdown on the offence.
Gouging hit the headlines during the summer when South Africa flanker Schalk Burger was banned for just eight weeks for making contact with the eye of the Lions wing Luke Fitzgerald.
Leinster coach Michael Cheika insisted Jennings' reputation had been permanently damaged by an incident Kennedy later admitted he had overreacted to.
Tarnished
"We are mystified by the decision and the whole process because we still maintain that Shane wasn't guilty of anything," said Cheika.
"To be cited in the first instance, it requires the incident to warrant a red card, but it didn't even merit a penalty, never mind a red card.
"Unfortunately the disciplinary officer wanted to pursue the matter even though there was verbal and written testimony from the London Irish player stating that he "over-reacted".
"We are at a loss to understand why this decision has been made.
"We're more concerned at this stage with the player as both his career and his reputation have now been tarnished.
"We will be standing by Shane during this difficult time and I know that he will emerge stronger from this disappointing judgement."
