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McFadden's stop-start season now faces a citing headache ahead of European decider

By Online Editors
Leinster's Fergus McFadden has suffered another injury blow. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Fergus McFadden’s stop-start season is set for another potential lay-off after the Leinster back was cited for an incident in his team’s PRO14 loss at Ulster last Saturday. 

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The 32-year-old hasn’t featured in any of Leinster’s eight matches on route to the May 11 Champions Cup final versus Saracens, but he won’t even feature in a selection debate for Newcastle if he is banned following what happened at Kingspan Stadium.

A disciplinary committee has been appointed to meet on Wednesday to consider the citing complaint that refers to an incident involving Ulster’s No8 Sean Reidy in the 13th minute of the round 21 league fixture in Belfast.

The player has been reported by the citing commissioner in charge for infringement of Law 9.12 (A player must not physically abuse anyone) – Striking with the head. 

Only recently back in action following his latest injury, McFadden has featured in five of Leinster’s last six PRO14 matches as a starter. 

However, he failed to make the cut in his province’s European knockout stage matches, Leo Cullen deciding to start Adam Byrne and Dave Kearney on the wing versus Ulster in the quarter-finals and then opt for Jordan Larmour and James Lowe in the semi-final against Toulouse.

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McFadden has played in Leinster’s European final wins in 2011 and 2012, but he missed last year’s decider against Racing 92 in Bilbao following an injury suffered in the semi-final win over Scarlets in Dublin. 

A ban could also see McFadden miss the run-in to Leinster’s PRO14 title defence, which starts with a May 18 semi-final at the RDS versus the winners of next Saturday’s semi-final in Limerick between Munster and Treviso. 

It was only a matter of weeks ago that McFadden was on the receiving end of a head strike as Cheetahs prop Ox Nche was banned for eight weeks.

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The South African was yellow carded at the time, but was subsequently cited for striking McFadden with the shoulder. 

WATCH: RugbyPass takes you behind the scenes at the 2018 PRO14 final Day

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Bull Shark 1 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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