UPDATED: Michael Cheika has been banned from coaching this weekend after a Rugby Football Union disciplinary hearing found the former Wallabies boss guilty of disrespecting the independent doctor that worked on the Leicester Tigers vs Exeter Chiefs Premiership match last month.
It was ex-Argentina coach Cheika’s first game in charge of Leicester as the Tigers won with a late Tommy Reffell try.
But the 57-year-old found himself in hot water after being summoned to appear before an independent disciplinary panel for an alleged breach of RFU rule 5.12: “conduct prejudicial to the interests of the game.”
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The panel settled on a a two week suspension, with one week suspended until the end of the 2024-25 season.
That means Cheika will be banned for Leicester’s match against Newcastle on Sunday (AEDT).
“The panel found that Michael Cheika disrespected the independent match day doctor in challenging the decision he had made that a player was subject to an IPR (immediate permanent removal),” panel chair Richard Whittam said.
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“Although it was an unusual case because there was a lack of clarity about the decisions made about the head injuries, the decisions of the independent match day doctor must be respected. In this particular case, the appropriate sanction was one of two weeks.
“The panel mitigated this by suspending one week until the end of the season.”
The Guardian reported that Leicester were frustrated by Solomone Kata’s send off for a dangerous tackle on Jack Yeandle.
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Kata was allowed to play on after a collision with teammate Ollie Chessum and the doctor later admitted that he should have been removed for a HIA.
The former NRL and Super Rugby player has since been banned for four games for the tackle.
Cheika was asked about the Kata situation after losing to Bath on Monday (AEST), where former Wallabies back Izaia Perese was yellow carded.
“I think American sitcoms have made the phrase ‘whatever’ famous. That’s all I’ve got to say really,” Cheika said.
“Whatever it is, it is now. Even (Perese) getting 10 in the bin today, he just turned his back. It is what it is now, just got to go with the flow I think. Fighting against it just gets you distracted.”
Cheika was warned by World Rugby in 2017 after sarcastically applauding refereeing decisions during Australia’s 30-6 defeat by England at Twickenham.