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Tigers lodge complaint over Ospreys 16th man

By on 23rd January 2010

Leicester Tigers have lodged an official complaint against their Heineken Cup opponents the Ospreys who played for just over one minute of their match at Liberty Stadium with a 16th man on the field.

 

Lee Byrne returned from a blood bin but his replacement Sonny Parker stayed on the pitch and this had an effect of Ben Youngs attack which led to referee Alan Lewis admonishing the unfortunate Ospreys official responsible.

The incident happened as Leicester were applying an enormous amount of pressure and pushing the Ospreys back into their 25.


 

While it’s not certain that Leicester Tigers would have scored a try which if it was converted would have won them the match the Ospreys were on the back foot during the incident and the Tigers were going forward at pace.

Leicester Tigers issued the following statement after Saturday’s Heineken Cup Pool 3 match against the Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium:


“We have looked at the television footage and it is clear that Ospreys had 16 men on the pitch at a point in the second half and that the player who returned to the field had a significant role in affecting an attack by Leicester Tigers No.9 Ben Youngs at a crucial part of the match.


“We have lodged an official complaint with ERC and they will look at it.


“It is up to ERC as tournament organisers to determine the next course of action.”

 

Leicester lost the match 17-12 and the result knocked them out of the running for the Heineken Cup title.

 

It is however understood that tournament rules mean the result of the match cannot be affected.

 

England were fined a five-figure sum during the 2003 World Cup when Dan Luger briefly appeared as a 16th player during their group victory over Samoa in Melbourne and referee Steve Walsh was suspended over the incident.

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