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The 'bit of responsibility' Mike Brown has taken on at Harlequins training as he awaits his appeal hearing on Wednesday night

By Liam Heagney
(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Mike Brown is back in training at Harlequins in the hope that his career at the London club might not yet be over despite his six-game ban. Sent off for stamping on May 9, the veteran full-back learned his fate three days later after he sat in on an independent disciplinary hearing that was virtually held the previous evening.  

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Set to join Newcastle on a two-year deal, the six-game suspension meant that he had played his final match for Quins as the most games the club could have between then and the end of this season was six if they reached the Gallagher Premiership final.

Brown’s stamp on Wasps’ Tommy Taylor was deemed to be at the top end of the foul play scale, resulting in the entry point of twelve games that was reduced to six when 50 per cent mitigation was applied. 

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That seemed to be the best outcome that could have been wished for, given the stamp was categorised as a top-end offence. However, Harlequins announced on May 20 that it was their intention to appeal the suspension and the Brown case will be held this Wednesday evening, May 26, by a new online independent disciplinary panel comprising Philip Evans (chair), with Daniel White and Julian Morris.

It appears that if Brown is to successfully have his sanction reduced, it would likely need the foul play to be reclassified as a middle-end offence where the pattern of punishment this season at hearings has been for a six-game entry point to be reduced to a three-match ban once the 50 per cent mitigation is applied. 

This would free Brown for Harlequins’ final match of the regular season and allow him to go on and be in contention for semi-final selection, but that scenario seems a longshot ahead of the appeal.  “I’m not clued up on how possible that is,” admitted assistant coach Nick Evans. “I can’t really comment too much on that. We will have to wait and see and hopefully for him it works out… it’s hard to comment, it’s out of my hands. I’m sure he will go in with the best intentions and we will see what happens.”

In the meantime, Brown has been back on the training ground in Guildford trying to be of whatever assistance he can be to a team that is in fourth place on the table with three rounds of regular-season games remaining, starting versus Bath on Saturday.    

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“He [Brown] had a bit of time off. He had a couple of days to process everything but he has come back in. He is training with us and we have given him a bit of responsibility around the back three, high ball work which he is world-class at,” explained Evans. 

“It’s good to have him in and around the group. He has got a wealth of experience and he wants to see us achieve what he thinks we can achieve, so having him around the group is good especially for the young back three. Tyrone (Green) has moved back there, we have Louis Lynagh coming back from injury, so having someone like Mike Brown around to help the younger guys in these money months is going to be crucial for us.

“It’s really unfortunate that it has turned out in this way. The best respect and the best thing that we can do for him is to go ahead and do the best we can. The first job is to beat Bath on Saturday and then go from there. But if we could send him off in unbelievably incredible style then that is what we will try to do.”

 

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Trevor 2 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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B
Bull Shark 6 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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