Quinlan contests ban in Lions bid

Quinlan (in cap) is held back from Leinster captain Cullen (far right)

Munster flanker Alan Quinlan has appealed against his 12-week ban in a bid to make the British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa.

Quinlan was found guilty on Wednesday of making contact with the eye area of Leinster captain Leo Cullen in the recent Heineken Cup semi-final match.

The ban runs until 9 September, ruling him out of the Lions tour and the first game of next season.

The 34-year-old's hearing will take place in Glasgow on Wednesday.

Quinlan had been a surprise inclusion in Lions coach Ian McGeechan's squad.

The Irish flanker had been picked ahead of the likes of Wales captain Ryan Jones and England's Tom Croft, who has been widely expected to be called up as his replacement.

606: DEBATE Have absolutely no sympathy for Quinlan whatsoever. Such thuggery has to be dealt with severely and he fully deserves the ban TVBG

McGeechan has already had to make two changes to his squad, after Quinlan's Munster colleague Tomas O'Leary broke his ankle and Blues centre Tom Shanklin dislocated his shoulder.

Scotland skipper Mike Blair replaces O'Leary, while there will be no replacement for Shanklin.

The Lions squad assembled in Surrey on Monday, six days before they are due to fly out to South Africa.

The opening game of the 10-match tour is against a Royal XV in Rustenburg on 30 May, and there are three Test matches against world champions South Africa - in Durban (20 June), Pretoria (27 June) and Johannesburg (4 July).