Ireland warhorse Jamie Heaslip's future on his side's southern hemisphere tour was in jeopardy Saturday after he was sent off for kneeing All Blacks captain Richie McCaw.
The powerful backrower was ordered from the field 14 minutes into the Test won by the All Blacks by an overwhelming 66-28 in New Plymouth.
He will face a judicial hearing on Sunday and a suspension could rule him out of both of Ireland's remaining matches, against the New Zealand Maori on Friday and a Test against Australia on June 26.
Ireland coach Declan Kidney said immediately after the Test he had not seen the incident and no decision had been made on how Heaslip would plead at the hearing.
But he said ill-discipline had cost Ireland dearly as they played most of the game with 14 men, at one stage down to 13 when Ronan O'Gara was sin-binned, and said they made too many fundamental passing and handling errors.
England referee Wayne Barnes was clearly heard telling Heaslip he had kneed a player twice in the head and McCaw confirmed he was the target, although he was reluctant to talk about it.
"I don't really know what happened but obviously something went on there to get a red card," McCaw said.
"He obviously got sent off for a knee. I don't think I should talk too much about it because it's before the judiciary and I've been told not to talk too much about it.
"It was dealt with from what the ref saw and that's all you can ask." McCaw added "the disappointing part" was with Ireland down to 14 men, the game was virtually over, while Ireland captain Brian O'Driscoll looked for the positives in how his side finished the Test.
"It's difficult playing against the All Blacks with 15 but when we lost Jamie, then Ronan to the yellow, we were chasing shadows a bit. It was a tough period.
"But I'm a positive person and you have to take what good things you can out of every game, and there were certainly some of those in the second half," he said, referring to how Ireland fought back in the closing stages.
.jpg)
