Rugby: Thumbs up after new Ene sentence

Asa Ene (No 23) punches Taradale player Angelo Mufana to the ground.

Taradale premier rugby team's co-coach Blair Cross has welcomed an increase to the suspension handed to Napier Old Boys Marist midfield back Asa Ene.

"From our club's perspective we feel it's more appropriate than the original sentence," Cross said after the Hawke's Bay Rugby Union announced yesterday Ene's suspension for throwing a punch in their 18-14 Maddison Trophy semifinal loss to Taradale on August 2 had been increased from two to five weeks at a union appeal hearing this week.

Union club development officer Gary Macdonald said the suspension will be served during the first five weeks of the 2015 club season.

The Taradale club also appealed the two-week suspension their lock Angelo Mufana, the player Ene knocked out, received at a citing hearing staged after Ene's judicial hearing on August 6.

Macdonald said this appeal was unsuccessful and Mufana's suspension ends after the Hawke's Bay Development team plays today.

Cross, who is also the Hawke's Bay Development team co-coach, said while he is hoping to play Mufana next week if Mufana needs another week to recover from his head injury, he will get it.

The reasons behind both decision have yet to be released by the union, despite the appeals being heard on Wednesday, and Napier Old Boys Marist premier team manager Mike Smith said he wanted to read the reasons for the increase to Ene's suspension before commenting.

Smith is also the manager for the Hawke's Bay development team and he stressed there will be no animosity between the Taradale and Napier Old Boys Marist players and officials involved with the team which travels to Wairoa today to take on the Poverty Bay Heartland Cup side.