Fava suspended for Bulls clash

[NewsBot]

The Western Force has suspended vice-captain Scotta Fava and disciplined two other players for breaching team rules on alcohol following the win against the Stormers in Cape Town at the weekend.

Fava, Haig Sare and Cameron Shepherd tested positive to alcohol when they arrived for training on Sunday morning, although their readings were below 0.05.

The club said it was Fava's second offence and he has been suspended for Friday night's game against the Bulls in Pretoria.

It is the first time Sare and Shepherd have breached the team rules, and they have been fined but not suspended.

http://www.abc.net.au/sport/content/200702/s1845936.htm

[Darren]

Scott, Scott, Scott.....

[Happy]

gee.. harsh .. you can operate a vehicle with that amount of blood alcohol but not a rugby ball

[luke_the_pom]

not again!

he enjoys a drink that lad

[frontrow]

so do i, but really, they would've sweat out the juice pretty quickly after a hard training run, so no harm done....And it was the first win of the year...poor bugger, but rulz is rulz i guess...

[Burgs]

Harsh but fair, we had this discussion after Scotty cocked up last year, the players were a party to the code of conduct.
Time to act like a Vice Captain Scotty
Last thing we needed coming up to the Forward orientated Bulls but strangely I've had a gut feel all weekend we were going to see Matty Hodgson sooner than later!
This may well lead to a far more mobile Force pack to run the big Bulls off their feet.

[Lock]

Once bitten...twice shy!Maybe not!

[AndyS]

I know it is all about responsibility and accountability, but being done for a BAC less than the legal driving limit still seems harsh. Why not just fill him up with water and send him on a 5 mile run before he can train?

[luke_the_pom]

how come Saire and Shepherd havent been suspended?

Fava was on his first discretion

would it happen to be anything to do with the Force desperately wanting Shep to play?

[Sagerian]

I think last year we all agreed that rules were rules...

[Nick]

how come Saire and Shepherd havent been suspended?

Fava was on his first discretion

would it happen to be anything to do with the Force desperately wanting Shep to play?

Saire and Shep were on their 1st warning from the Force while Fava did it last year in SA.

Shep was in trouble when with the Tah's mate.

On an intersting side note Anton Oliver complianed that when Mitchell used to coach the AB's that there was a drinking culture associated with the team. So a bit stricter now.

Personally I think we make the boys to Politically Correct, for god sake the boys had a huge win they had a beer but didn't do anything illigeal or get into any trouble with the locals so give em a break - (thats better than the last Wallabies tour there).

[Burgs]

LTP, read the article again, Fava on second, Sare and Shepherd on first.
Although from memory Fava started on the bench after his first offence last season, interesting to see that unfold.
Maybe harsher for a team leader?

AndyS, I know what you are saying, but why have a player agreement written up with the players input if you aren't going to enforce it?
These fellas aren't down the local club, they are Pro athletes on big BIG dollars who have happily signed off on their contracts.

Let the chips fall where they may for mine, rules are rules.

---EDIT---
Just to add to that, the fellas at the local mine have to work to a zero reading, they accept that when they sign on and have no come back when they are caught over, even if under 0.05. Hence most of them went to bed around 10:30 on New Years Eve. Sign on the line then do the time with no double standards.

[AndyS]

I don't disagree, but I also didn't realise they were applying zero tolerance. With a big ticket contract on the table, I wonder if any of the players would have had the brass ones to say that it all seemed a bit too politically correct. (Mind you, if they were detectable on Sunday when the game was Friday, fair play. Must have been a hell of a night out)

I'd be interested to know what machine they are using. A quick survey of available units indicates that most only guarantee an accuracy of +/-0.02 and need recalibration every 6 months.

[Burgs]

Sorry mate, just a clarification on my part, I don't know what the reading limit is for them, the zero was for the mine workers on our property.
I suspect it would be more like 0.02 for the Force.
I can find out in a couple of days I think.

[AndyS]

It's the same for our lot going offshore on the rigs, and quite right too. I have no problem with the lads being done, but didn't realise it was quite so stringent.

Up on SMH:

An alcohol level of 0.04 was agreed by the team as an appropriate limit for Saturday morning after the Stormers match, with the day being a non-training day.

Fava's reading was 0.043, while Shepherd returned a reading of 0.047 and Sare 0.044.......

"It was a misjudgement on my part and one, of course, I regret," Fava said in a statement......

"I am part of the playing group which agreed to these protocols and I accept the consequences."