TWO Melrose rugby forwards have been suspended for dangerous play after incidents during a Scottish Cup match against Boroughmuir.
Muir's Rory Couper needed surgery on an ear injury after the game on March 15, which the Meggetland side lost 16-0.
A Scottish Rugby disciplinary panel has banned Kieran Cooney and John Dalziel for six and three weeks respectively after they w
ere cited by Boroughmuir. A statement says Cooney had "deliberately stamped on the head" of Couper.
It adds that Dalziel was found guilty of "reckless use of the boot", also against Couper.
However, the disciplinary panel stated it could not find that the injury sustained by Couper was as a result of being stood on by either player – who still have the right of appeal.
Couper today stressed that he was keen to put the incident behind him, while recognising Boroughmuir had a right to take steps to try to ensure foul play does not go unpunished.
"I did not set out to get any player suspended but the club clearly decided there was a case to answer from watching a video, which I didn't see until afterwards.
"Boroughmuir wanted to make the point that you don't put boots on anybody's head.
"It isn't up to me to decide whether the length of suspensions are appropriate and it might have been that a third pair of boots was involved other than those belonging to the two players who have been suspended.
"All I did was tackle somebody then I had to leave the field."
Ironically, 27-year-old Couper's comeback from his injury sustained could be at Melrose when Boroughmuir contest their annual sevens tournament next week.
"My ear is still a bit tender and two-and-a-half weeks with no running certainly makes a dent in your fitness so I'm struggling to play in the Haddington sevens tomorrow," said the winger.
"But Melrose Sevens is a prestigious event and I'm keen to try to make myself available."
After initially being taken from the Greenyards pitch Couper was transferred to St John's Hospital, Livingston, where there is a plastic surgery unit.
He was released on Saturday night with pain-killers then returned the following day for an operation.
The full article contains 379 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
