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Your support makes all the difference.Matt Williams, the Scotland coach, yesterday reacted with anger and disappointment to the decision of the International Rugby Board's commission to dismiss Stuart Grimes' appeal against a two-match suspension.
Matt Williams, the Scotland coach, yesterday reacted with anger and disappointment to the decision of the International Rugby Board's commission to dismiss Stuart Grimes' appeal against a two-match suspension.
He will be suspended for tomorrow's second Test against the Wallabies and Newcastle's first pre-season friendly.
Tomorrow, Grimes will be replaced in the starting line-up by the Saracens-bound lock Iain Fullarton, or Newcastle's Craig Hamilton who is in the Test squad for the first time.
Grimes was cited for "trampling" Australia's David Lyons in the closing stages of Scotland's 35-15 defeat to the Wallabies last Sunday and subsequently suspended from all rugby until 14 August.
Scotland lodged an appeal against the severity of the sentence and went into the hearing with great confidence, believing they had found 24 points to contest the original finding. But Grimes' appeal was dismissed.
"We went through due process, used all our legal advice. We were very surprised on both occasions. I don't believe this particular instance was warranting the suspension. There is no doubt it was over-exuberance, he shouldn't have done it and the referee dealt with it. At international level, for that to get a two-week sanction is quite extraordinary."
SCOTLAND (Second Test v Australia, Sydney, tomorrow): H Southwell; S Lamont, B Hinshelwood, A Henderson, S Webster; D Parks, C Cusiter; A Hogg, D Macfadyen, J White, S Murray (capt), I Fullarton or C Hamilton, B Douglas, G Bulloch, T Smith. Replacements: S Scott, C Smith, I Fullarton or C Hamilton, J Petrie, M Blair, G Ross, G Morrison.
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