Horwill cleared

How it should be. Justice served. IRB lost respect in a lot of corners over this.

It was all bulshit to start off with.  some people just do not understand and probably never will.  Come Oz shoot a Lion!

Had to post this pic - hilarious. One happy man

Have to disagree, Oimatey. I think the IRB were fully justified in appealing the original decision and I think James Horwill can count himself very lucky. No wonder he's grinning from ear to ear, he knows he's very lucky to get away with this.

If it had been a Springbok who was stamped on as Alun-Wyn Jones was then I can just imagine the indignant shrieking we'd be subjected to from the likes of Baboon-ou and other one-eyed SA supporters. Horwill deserved at least a one match ban for what was obviously intentional stamping on an opposition player's face . . . unless you think there was some other reason for his leg movement . . . and I don't even want to start on the cowardice of such an act when the victim is helpless in a ruck.

I don't know what it is about the Australasian teams but there seems to be a lot more needle in the NZ and Australian British Lions tours than there is in the Lions tours to South Africa. I can't think of too many incidents on Springbok tours that can compare to the infamous incidents involving Keven Mealamu and Tana Umaga for the All Blacks and Nathan Grey and James Horwill for the Wallabies.

Edit: Scrap that last paragraph. I've just remembered Skulk Burger's eye-gouging of Luke Fitzgerald. We South Africans are no less guilty of sickening on-field violence against touring British Lions teams.

 Rooi - my comments about justice being served only relates to him being submitted to double jeopardy and the fact that the IRB appealed the decision of its own judge. That is not natural law - there is no legal system that I know of that would allow that.

As for the original incident I am undecided. With the position Horwill was in I don't see how he could have seen Jones beneath him - it appears his view would be obstructed by the ruck he was laying over. But that downward movement by the leg is so unnatural and with precision that really makes you scratch your head. If he really was off balance, then surely that leg would have gone in the opposite direction instead of beside the other foot he had planted.

They claim to have other camera angles that prove he was unsighted regarding Jones' position therefore the stamp could not have been intentional - would love to see that.

Oimatey, most legal systems have an Appeal Court.

The video footage of the stamp doesn't make me scratch my head at all. Unlike the commission that found Horwill innocent, I can tell a deliberate stamp from a clumsy leg movement. If they have another angle then what's stopping them from putting it up?

The only thing making me scratch my head is how two separate citing commissions could find Horwill innocent of the charge of wilfully stamping on an opponent's head. Disgusting behaviour from an international captain!

Wouldn't be a true Lions tour without some controversy !

Good point about it being an appeal - not sure why that didn't occur to me as it seems an obvious possibility. I was under the impression that it was a re-trial. 

Either way that Cheshire cat grin is really funny - in a sad sort of way depending on what you think of his innocence.

Bad decision! He clearly stamped down with his foot but appeared to miss. That is no excuse however and he should have been banned.

That's why the IRB appealed; they couldn't fathom how he was let off in the first place........reminds me of multiple TMO cock-ups in the S15 Comp so far this season.