“No doubt Gavin has a case to answer, but I am not sure if the length of ban is spot-on,” Ruddock told Sportsweek. Ruddock said Henson was guilty of foul play, but believes rugby’s disciplinary bodies are lacking consistency.
He pointed to two recent incidents in which players received lesser bans for elbowing. France captain Fabien Pelous was banned for nine weeks for elbowing Australia’s Brendan Cannon in November, while South Africa skipper Jon Smit got a six-week ban for striking France’s Jerome Thion.
“I have noted that for use of the elbow there have been two or three different sentences,” Ruddock added. “That is something that needs to be considered.”
That includes Wales’s RBSÂ Six Nations matches against England, Scotland and Ireland, plus important Celtic League games and the final two Heineken Cup pool fixtures.
