Ireland v Japan: Red card hearing ‘not nice’ for Tadhg Beirne says head coach Andy Farrell

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell said Tadhg Beirne’s disciplinary hearing was a “distraction” for the player this week.

Beirne was sent off in the third minute of his side’s 26-13 defeat by New Zealand last weekend but is available to start against Japan in Dublin on Saturday (12:40 GMT) after the card was rescinded.

The Munster forward was initially shown a yellow card for a challenge on All Black fly-half Beauden Barrett in Chicago but the decision was upgraded to a 20-minute red card during the game after a bunker review.

On Tuesday an independent disciplinary committee found that “whilst an act of foul play had occurred, it did not meet the red card threshold” leaving Beirne free to take his place alongside James Ryan in Ireland’s second row against the Brave Blossoms in the second of four Tests this month.

“It’s a distraction for Tadhg,” said Farrell.

“You can’t obviously select a side or know for definite what’s going to happen, even if you’re putting your mortgage on trying to presume [the decision would be overturned].

“There’s a distraction in going through the process, the amount of emails flying around and then the hearing itself. I sat through it with Tadhg, it’s not nice.”

Farrell added that Beirne, who was player of the series in the British and Irish Lions’ series victory over Australia during the summer, was delighted to still be in line to win his 63rd Ireland cap on Saturday, even after an incident in training left him needing stitches.

“He was over the moon to be available, not that you’d be able to see it from Tadhg’s mannerisms,” he said.

“He trained [on Wednesday] and Jack Conan came down on his head with an elbow and he got split.

“He’s had six stitches, so not a great start to the week for him, but hopefully it gets better.”