Connacht coach Pat Lam hit with €8,000 fine for comments about Leighton Hodges

The Pro 12 have slapped Pat Lam with an €8,000 fine, following his comments about referee Leighton Hodges earlier this month.

After Connacht's 18-17 defeat to Cardiff two weeks ago, Lam had been highly critical of Hodges, who was a touchjudge on the night, after the Welsh intervened to give Cardiff a late penalty, before they eventually won the game with a late try. "At 83 minutes they knock the ball clearly on. There was no ruck, our guy came from onside, cleared the ball, game over, referee called game over, and Leighton Hodges from the side made the call that was completely wrong, factually." At the time, Lam said that they had made a formal complaint to the Pro 12 about Hodges' officiating, after comments he made to stewards at the Sportsground prior to Connacht's defeat to Edinburgh in January. "There are serious question marks on the call that was made and the statement that was made". The Connacht boss appeared before a Pro 12 disciplinary committee this week, where it was decided that he had publicly questioned the integrity of Hodges, and fined him €8,000, €5,000 of which is suspended. But because Lam had previously been warned about his conduct by the Pro 12 disciplinary committee, it was decided that he must also make an undisclosed contribution towards the costs of the hearing. The Pro 12 Disciplinary Officer, Jon Davis said that while the league encourage managers to give feedback on referees, a public setting in the aftermath of a narrow defeat may not have been the most appropriate venue. "PRO12 Rugby welcomes the Disciplinary Committee's decision in this case. While we understand that passions and emotions run high during and after matches, we have to uphold the reputation of the tournament and protect our match officials from public criticism and attacks on their character. "If coaches or others wish to provide feedback – positive or negative – on the performance of match officials, we at PRO12 welcome that feedback, but there is a clear mechanism for providing that feedback privately."