The citing system in rugby is an utter farce and has been for many years. The fact the system is ripe for abuse couldn't have been highlighted better than this week's incident in the Ireland vs Barbarians game.
Ireland prop Jack McGrath, likely to be first choice looeshead for the World Cup with Cian Healy suffering from injury, was seen sinking his knee into the Barbarians' lock Kote Mikautadze lying on the floor in a prone position.
(GIF: The knee to the back deemed not worthy of a ban)
McGrath was sin binned after the incident was referred to the TMO. However after the match, the Leinster prop who already has a blemished disciplinary record this season after being banned for stamping in January, miraculously came away with no further punishment whatsoever.
(Video: This isn't the first time this year McGrath has been in trouble)
In most other circumstances the offence of kneeing someone this season has seen bans of at least a month given out. For example, Clermont flanker Julien Bardy got 5 weeks for a very similar incident in a Champions Cup encounter with Saracens. France lock Pascal Papé got a 10 week ban for another kneeing incident in the 6 Nations.
(GIF: A similar kneeing incident earlier in the season that got 5 weeks)
To come away without being cited is hugely inconsistent and will leave those who have received bans feeling hard done by, as can Mikautadze himself who played through the rest of the match with his back clearly in pain. But the unfortunate thing is many saw the utterly absurdly lenient treatment of McGrath coming.
Although Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt responded to questioning on the incident saying "I guess whatever happens it's out of our hands", the citing commissioner was in fact someone with the same employer as him. Anyone can see there is a conflict of interests there, with a World Cup approaching.
Not only that, but the citing commissioner, Eddie Walsh of the IRFU, also happens to have a history of handing out non-bans.
Including infamously one that Schmidt himself wasn't happy at. The Athlone man was the citing commissioner who gave no ban to Paul O'Connell after he hoofed Dave Kearney's skull in April 2013, that forced the Leinster winger off the pitch on a stretcher and out with concussion for several weeks.
That non-ban happened to be the week before a big Munster Heineken Cup semi final, and not long before a Lions tour.
(GIF: Citing commissioner Eddie Walsh also gave no ban for this incident)
There is a strong suspicion of the IRFU abusing the system to their advantage. Possibly a suspicion shared by WR, who told BBC Sport they are "keeping an interested eye in the application of the disciplinary process". Hopefully (although there doubts on WR's willingess to act) this will lead to some sort of review of this case as well as similar ones, and a fairer result.
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