Fan's 'attack' defended by Dallaglio

Lawrence Dallaglio and Shaun Edwards, Wasps' captain and coach, last night defended a 60-year-old spectator who was caught on television apparently trying to hit Clermont Auvergne's Argentina prop, Martin Scelzo, with his rolled-up match programme.

Alan Black, a former Wasps captain and vice-president, who is the RFU's leisure rugby manager, faces a lifetime ban after being ejected from Adams Park after the incident in Wasps' 25-24 Heineken Cup victory.

Black's action followed a mass brawl which saw Clermont's Canadian forward Jamie Cudmore sinbinned after landing six punches in the face of Wasps prop Tim Payne.

As the fracas continued Black was seen to strike out at Scelzo, although he may well have hit Wasps James Haskell instead as the two players grappled by the advertising hoardings.

Wasps chief executive Tony Copsey believes Black could be banned for life but Dallaglio and Edwards have leapt to his defence.

Edwards said: "He probably felt threatened. He's a 60-year-old man and a number of punches are being thrown right beside him. It's not a lifetime ban. It was only a programme,for God's sake."

Dallaglio added: "The incident has to be taken in the context of what happened. An elderly man in the crowd uses a programme, while a guy on the field throws six punches and gets a yellow card. Let's get it into perspective."

The European Rugby Cup disciplinary officer will now contactWasps on Monday to obtain a full report of the incident.