Off Topic The Six Nations 2020

A year ago last week, Munster were beaten by Saracens in the semi-final of the Heineken Champions Cup. When it's your third year running to lose at that stage of the competition the post-match media session is even less attractive than usual. The circumstances of the day weren't great either. Saracens, at the peak of their powers, were even better than they had been when beating Munster in Lansdowne Road two years earlier.

Billy Vunipola was star of the show. On the boiling hot stage that was the Ricoh Arena that day, the number eight did huge damage. A week earlier, on social media, he had supported the homophobic comments of Wallaby star Israel Folau. The Munster fans gave him a hard time, one of them hopping the barrier afterwards to confront Vunipola on the side of the pitch.

Within an hour of the final whistle the press conference was wrapping up when coach Johann van Graan was asked to comment on the incident. Before he could formulate a response the question was dismissed by a member of Munster's staff who said there was no proof that it had been one of their fans. Embarrassed silence. Next question.

The intruder was wearing a Munster shirt. He had what looked like a Munster cap in his hand. He was gesticulating aggressively at Vunipola, who had been a target for some Munster fans all day. What were the chances, we wondered, of a sneaky Saracens supporter having slipped out to the jacks, only to reappear in Munster gear, hop the fence and make his point? Ludicrous as it was, we didn't dwell on it, even for the badly-needed laugh. We were hot, tired and like the Munster contingent we wanted to get to the airport and go home.

That mad supposition sprang to mind last week with the announcement that Munster loosehead James Cronin had been found guilty of a doping offence. Hardly unique for an Irish player to test positive for a banned substance. Not unheard of either for there to be a long and winding road from start to finish. But had you sketched out the story around this as a movie plot you might fairly have been advised to submit to a drugs test yourself.

Last November, Munster were playing Racing 92 in the second round of the Heineken Champions Cup at Thomond Park. The previous week, away to Ospreys, they had to dig out a bonus point win so deep into time added-on it was subterranean stuff. The circumstances were perfect for morale-building towards France's finest seven days later. Loosehead Jeremy Loughman had been outrageously good in Swansea, and would start again the next week. James Cronin was selected on the bench.

Cronin, now 29, has had a mixed career on and off the pitch. Dolphin people remember him coming to the club as a late teenager, and being very forthright about his ambitions to play for Ireland. He succeeded. The last of his three caps came off the bench against France in the Six Nations four years ago. This is his eighth season in red. He has played 124 times for Munster. A player with lots of ability and plenty of edge, he hasn't come near to delivering on his potential. Between personal setbacks off the field and injuries on it, Cronin has been climbing more than cruising.

With Loughman making a name for himself, and Dave Kilcoyne part of the furniture, this was to be an important season for Cronin who had been plagued with injury last term. So falling ill ahead of the Racing game threatened another setback. He consulted the Munster team doctor who prescribed a course of antibiotics, the script for which he emailed to the local pharmacy Cronin was accustomed to using. The player collected the medication on the day before the game.


When he opened the bag he would have seen two items: one an antibiotic; the other an anti-inflammatory commonly prescribed by doctors as a running mate to the antibiotic. Cronin, according to EPCR's written judgement on the case, had been to the same pharmacy to fill previous prescriptions for antibiotics. Seemingly the presence of the second drug didn't raise a red flag with him.

Neither apparently did the required dosage. Whatever about the number of tablets required to kickstart the antibiotic, the anti-inflammatory - Prednisone, which is on the World Anti-Doping Association (WADA) banned list - required five tablets for openers. Seemingly Cronin consulted neither the team doctor nor the pharmacist to check if this was the right stuff.

At 9 o'clock the following morning, match-day, he took another four Prednisone, as well, presumably, as the antibiotic. Munster's kick off was 7.35pm. Cronin came off the bench 10 minutes into the second half and saw out a game his team did well to draw.

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Very soon after the final whistle he was one of three players called out for a drug test, carried out by representatives of Sport Ireland on behalf of EPCR, the tournament's governing body.

Next, the samples were sent to a WADA-accredited laboratory in Cologne for testing. Cronin's sample was found to contain Prednisone, a major metabolite of Prednisolone, which is a glucocorticoid on the banned list. It is an anti-inflammatory drug that can aid in breathing.

For reasons that are unclear, it was not until early January, approximately six weeks later, that the relevant people in EPCR became aware that Cronin had a case to answer. They then contacted Munster on January 17 to bring them up to speed. At last, the investigative process got underway.

It involved an exchange of information between EPCR and Cronin over the details of the positive finding. It was not until February 19, almost three months after the Thomond Park test was carried out, that EPCR made a formal charge to him. Under EPCR's anti-doping regulations, Cronin was free to continue playing if "the Player or other Person has a strong arguable case that he bears No Fault or Negligence for the anti-doping rule violation(s) charged". Cronin had no trouble ticking that box.

When it came to putting all his cards on the table the player revealed a few aces. In a bizarre twist, Cronin's legal team produced the equivalent of the dog that ate their client's homework.

When he went to the pharmacy on the day before the Racing game, Cronin was mistakenly given medication prescribed for someone else. Another James Cronin. What are the odds of someone else of the same name having a prescription lodged in the same pharmacy at the same time? Better still, what are the odds of that other person having a complaint to be treated with similar but not identical drugs?

The Munster team doctor, Jamie Kearns, prescribed only an antibiotic. The doctor who was/is treating the other James Cronin prescribed an antibiotic with a glucocorticoid chaser - common enough for people trying to shift a difficult chest infection. What are the chances of the wrong medicine getting into the hands of someone who works in a highly-regulated industry, where breaches of that industry's anti-doping code can kill a career?

Cronin's legal team were able to produce the following: the prescription from the Munster team doctor detailing only the antibiotic; the dispensing form from the pharmacy showing the wrong meds had been given out; an admission by the pharmacy that a dispensing error had been made.

The Munster player collected his stuff sometime before 2.0pm the day before the Racing game, and took the first dose at 2.0pm. He took the second at 9.0am the next day. If he had received no call from the pharmacy in that window, warning him that he had someone else's prescription, then when did the penny drop? Surely it would have been uncovered when the other Cronin came calling? Maybe it never dropped because instead of prescriptions being inadvertently swapped, one was duplicated in error and given to two people of the same name and with similar complaints?

How else would you explain James Cronin continuing with the course of glucocorticoids on top of the antibiotic into the following week? It is understood he finished the course of Prednisone on the Tuesday, oblivious to the train wreck coming his way. Against Edinburgh the following weekend, he again featured off the bench. He started both back-to-back games against Saracens in the Champions Cup in December. By the time EPCR got in touch in January the post-match drug test was but a distant memory.

Antony Davies was the sole member of the EPCR legal disciplinary panel. Provided with the paper chain by Cronin's legal team his options were narrowed. It was inarguable that an offence had taken place - Cronin tested positive and didn't dispute that. Equally he hadn't rocked up to the chemist and suggested they lob a pack of smarties into the bag. Still, there were questions: What was his reaction when he opened the bag and found two for one, the second of which was a banned substance that would likely improve his medical condition and therefore enhance his performance? Did he reckon that was what the doctor ordered? Or did he open the bag with his name on it, follow the instructions on the two packets, and proceed without further thought because that's what players do?

This could have been explored in cross-examination. Except there was none. This investigative process was conducted by an exchange of documents. So in reaching his findings and settling on a sanction, Antony Davies never actually spoke to James Cronin.

The sanction deemed appropriate was a one-month ban. In order to absolve Cronin of any fault or negligence Davies would have to conclude the player took the 'utmost caution' in avoiding ingesting a banned substance. So even though he was a victim of a cock-up in the pharmacy he still had a responsibility to read the menu and decide whether or not to partake.

Clearly that was off the table, so next up was 'no significant fault or negligence'. That allows for anything between a reprimand and a two-year ban. Davies felt this was the appropriate heading, and stood Cronin down until May 15 from a sport that is already stood down for the foreseeable future.

Why bother?

Reaction has been mixed. WADA are reviewing with deep interest the written judgement, as are Sport Ireland. The latter will be reluctant to run to the Committee of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) with an appeal that could take a six-figure sum to finance. Without a point of law or failure of due process to chase they may well think it's not a race for them. As for WADA, we'll see.

Like the rest of us they will be intrigued by the freakish nature of the case. Perhaps like the rest of us they will struggle to understand how, in unique circumstances, the EPCR operation looked part-time: first the delay in getting Antony Davies on the job; second, that a case needing forensic investigation did not involve cross-examination of the man in the dock.

The organisation that succeeded the old ERC - which by comparison was a well-oiled machine - might claim that their responsibility ends with setting up the system that rotates a panel of independent judicial officers around their games. That's like hiring a security firm to guard your valuable business premises and not caring how many bodies they apply to the job. The truth is they would be happier if World Rugby rode to the rescue and run the anti-doping drill right across the game.

Meantime, the IRFU watched from a distance. Apparently they are unalarmed by the presence of players incapable of independent thought when it comes to medication. They gave us the following: "We understand that the pharmacy (concerned) had fulfilled its regulatory obligations. The IRFU's education programme is comprehensive and updated regularly with real-world examples to allow greater understanding of the issues. We will bring this case into our education modules."

Munster might be ahead of them there. In their coverage of the outcome they carried a statement from James Cronin which included the following: "I have volunteered to participate in an educational forum to help raise awareness with other rugby union players so as to ensure that my experiences can be avoided by other athletes."

If you combine the IRFU's notion of the "real world" with James Cronin's offer to wise up the lads and lassies around the Irish game you get a glimpse of how far professional rugby in this country is off the pace.

Cronin's drug test was carried out almost 21 years to the month that we stumbled across information of another inadvertent positive finding for a Munster player.

In October 1998 Munster popped up to Donnybrook to play Leinster in an interpro. We had learned that their scrumhalf, Tom Tierney, had tested positive for a banned substance when on duty in France with the Ireland under 21s eight months earlier. Naturally enough Tierney wasn't keen on commenting that night when we asked him - or rather tried to ask him, after the game - but the enduring memory was the speed with which the shutters came down from all connected to the Munster team.

Tierney's excuse - taking an over-the-counter cold remedy that contained ephedrine - was accepted, and he received no more than a reprimand. He recovered and got on with his career. It struck us back then that maybe it would be a good idea to use the same Tom Tierney as a poster boy in a 'due care and attention' campaign for other players. Right.

So here we are, in another era, and Munster are offering to do what the IRFU should have done 21 years ago. It would be a macabre roadshow that had James Cronin touring the country telling folks the dangers of two for the price of one. Standing room only

 

How bizarre!

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/52515684

 

One primarily for Taff

 

Thanks Glam.

I know Ron pretty well - I remember him and Brian popping into my house on a Saturday morning - they had just met with Neil Jenkins and his Dad. He stayed at Ponty!

I see Ron - or should I say, used to see - at the gym in the David Lloyd Club.

His son Mark was in the same school year as I was in Neath Grammar.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...behind-closed-doors-tests-until-vaccine-found

 

The scrum's enough of a mess as it is now, never mind with 2 metre distancing between the players. Tackling could be tricky also.

 

The Ospreys have been playing like that all season .....

 

If interested, I think that the Welsh game against England at Wembley is being replayed on T.V. On Saturday.
That's the game that Gibs scored the famous late try, with Jenkins converting. ...... not certain, but think it is on
B.B.C. ....... hope I'm right.

 

One of my all time favourite games, what a satisfying try!

Anyone remember Butler and Davies goading the English after?

 

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/the-best-welsh-rugby-teams-12878028

 

In some, if not many respects, a pointless article - the Western Fail must be struggling to fill its sports pages.

For what it’s worth, I actually think that Neath would have beaten Carwyn’s Llanelli side - not because Neath were a better team per se, not because Neath had better players, but because Ronnie’s team would have been vastly fitter and Neath would have run the legs off them.

But it’s purely academic and personal opinion - Carwyn’s Llanelli beat Kirkpatrick’s All Blacks (as we keep being reminded ) and for that alone they deserve to be regarded as the best club side of the/that time

 

And what you failed to add Taff.....

You are a Neath supporter

 

I thought that went without saying

Indeed, for a period, more than that

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/welsh/6088622.stm

 

That Swansea side was pretty good as well

 

I know coz I was there - West Terrace

 

I was in my usual spot by the tunnel in the North Enclosure.
Can I also agree with Taff on his view that Neath would have beaten Carwyn's Llanelli side. Neath were a super fit team at that time