Italy's Ghiraldini to face 'gouging' hearing

Italy hooker Leonardo Ghiraldini faces a disciplinary hearing later here on Tuesday after being cited for allegedly 'gouging' the eyes of Ireland prop Cian Healy during the teams' decisive World Cup pool match last weekend. In a fixture both sides had to win to advance to the quarter-finals, Pool C winners Ireland triumphed 36-6 at Dunedin's Otago Stadium on Sunday and so knocked Italy out of the tournament. But there was plenty of 'niggle' in the match and at one stage during the first half an angry Healy indicated he had been the victim of eye gouging. However, experienced South African referee Jonathan Kaplan said he could take no action as he had not himself seen the incident. But English citing commissioner Peter Larter has ruled Ghiraldini has a case to answer for what a Rugby World Cup statement said was "a breach of Law 10.4(m) contact with the eyes or the eye area and acts contrary to good sportsmanship on Ireland No. 1 (Cian Healy)". Independent judicial officer Bruce Squire, a New Zealand lawyer, will consider Italy vice-captain Ghirladini's case at at 4pm local time (0300GMT) in Auckland on Tuesday. However, Ghiraldini was seen boarding a plane at Dunedin Airport on Monday, along with the rest of the Azzurri squad following their World Cup elimination, and it was not immediately clear if he or anyone from the Italy camp would attend Tuesday's hearing. Eye gouging is one of the most serious offences in rugby union and is punishable by a maximum three-year ban. Ireland face Wales in a World Cup quarter-final in Wellington on Saturday.