Aussie Outrage As Kefu Banned

Newcastle Herald

Thursday October 14, 1999

From TREVOR MARSHALLSEA

LIMERICK: Aggrieved that a carefully laid two-year World Cup plan has been jolted by a `selective citation', Australian rugby coach Rod Macqueen has vowed no effort will be spared to fight Toutai Kefu's suspension.

Macqueen criticised the tournament's disciplinary panel after it banned No.8 Kefu for 14 days, putting his best ball-running forward out of Australia's quarter-final.

Kefu also misses the Wallabies' final group match with minnows the US at Limerick today (1.45am tomorrow AEST), a formality of a game which has given Macqueen the opportunity to rest all but three members of his first-string side.

Macqueen, who took over the Wallabies late in 1997 with a brief to win the Cup, termed Kefu's suspension `an injustice' and said the Australian management team would work on an appeal to be lodged within 48 hours.

Kefu was suspended for punching in a fight with Ireland forward Trevor Brennan during the Wallabies' 23-3 win on Sunday.

While Ireland were penalised on the field for the incident, Brennan received only a 10-day ban.

Macqueen would not comment on Brennan's ban, although the fact the Irishman hit Kefu first is expected to form the nub of the appeal.

Macqueen's main complaint, and another likely appeal argument, lies with perceived flaws in the citing process for the match, after other clashes ? namely Brennan on Jeremy Paul, and Conor O'Shea on Steve Larkham ? went unmentioned.

Similarly, Macqueen was not `relieved' centre Daniel Herbert had been exonerated on a charge of a dangerous tackle on centre Kevin Maggs, but more annoyed Herbert had been summoned to the Twickenham hearings in the first place.

`We don't agree with the 14-day suspension,' Macqueen said.

`It's a selective citation from our point of view.

`There were a number of incidents in the game and to pick those two incidents out astounds us, actually.

`This (Kefu's suspension) will have a significant impact on a campaign we've had going for a very long time.

`He's one of our top players.'