Ireland’s Six Nations plans are in disarray after Bundee Aki was handed a four-game ban for “verbal abuse and disrespect” towards a referee, with Hugo Keenan also facing time out with a broken thumb.
Aki, the Connacht centre, was banned for six weeks with two suspended by an independent disciplinary panel after the altercation with a referee last weekend. The IRFU has launched its own internal investigation and removed Aki from Ireland’s pre-tournament training camp in Portugal.
Aki will serve the first match of his ban in Connacht’s upcoming United Rugby Championship game with Zebre before missing the Six Nations games against France, Italy and England.
Andy Farrell, the head coach, who named a 37-man squad last week, had already reckoned with a string of injuries, with a number of absentees in the front row.
Keenan has not played since the Lions tour last summer
AP
Keenan’s absence comes as another blow. The full back started all three Lions Tests in Australia at full back, scoring the series-clinching try in the second Test in Melbourne, but has not played since the third Test, sidelined by a hip injury. He had been expected to return to fitness at some point during the Six Nations, but his participation has now been thrown into further doubt after suffering a fractured thumb during training in Portugal. Ireland’s first Six Nations game is away to France in Paris a week on Thursday.
During Keenan’s absence in the autumn internationals, Jamie Osborne and Mack Hansen started two matches each, but Osborne has not played since November owing to a shoulder injury and Hansen is out of action having had surgery last month after suffering a foot injury. In their absence, Jacob Stockdale, of Ulster, is thought to be next in line at full back.
Farrell is also missing three loose-head props, Andrew Porter, Paddy McCarthy and Jack Boyle, while Ryan Baird, the flanker, has not played since November, and Robbie Henshaw, the centre, picked up a knee injury playing for Leinster this month. “It’s bit larger [injury list] than normal,” Farrell said at the Six Nations launch on Monday. “But there’s always something going on, there’s always someone retiring, in form, out of form or injured. It’ll be a good experience for the guys that are coming in.”
Aki, who has won 68 caps since making his debut in 2017, has been replaced in the Ireland squad by Jude Postlethwaite, the uncapped Ulster centre.
Postlethwaite, the uncapped 23-year-old, has replaced Aki in the Ireland squad
TYLER MILLER/SPORTSFILE
“Bundee Aki has not travelled with the men’s senior squad to Portugal for disciplinary reasons,” an IRFU statement read. “The IRFU does not tolerate any form of disrespect shown towards match officials and does not condone actions that fall below the standards expected of players representing Irish rugby. The IRFU are investigating the matter further internally and no additional comment will be made at this time.”
During the match against Leinster, Aki was penalised by the referee, Eoghan Cross, for repeatedly confronting him after the centre had come on as a replacement early in the second half. Cross could be heard on television saying to the Connacht captain: “If I hear No22 or No23 [Aki] speaking again, they’re going to be penalised.”
Postlethwaite, 23, who is 6ft 4in and 16st 7lb, is yet to win a full cap, but started at outside centre for Ireland A in the 28-12 defeat by England A at Bristol in February. Four of his five most recent appearances for Ulster have come as a replacement.