Appeal on Harlequins' Euro fate to be held on Monday

The hearing over the fake blood injury which could result in Harlequins being kicked out of next season's Heineken Cup will be held in Glasgow on Monday, it was announced today.

An independent committee will hear an appeal by winger Tom Williams against the severity of his 12-month ban after being found guilty of fabricating a cut to his mouth during Quins' Heineken Cup quarter-final against Leinster.

The committee will also rule on an appeal by the European Rugby Cup's own disciplinary officer who is unhappy that Harlequins were fined only £2150,000 and that charges against former director of rugby Dean Richards and two club officials were dismissed.

It is the appeals against the club penalty that could have serious ramifications for Quins as there is a precedent which could see them kicked out of the Heineken Cup and London Wasps drafted in.

In 2002, French club Agen were thrown out of the Parker Pen Shield, which is now the European Challenge Cup, after deliberately losing a tie so they could concentrate on their domestic title battle.

Although Williams's 'staged' blood substitution is an entirely different case, it echoes the same 'bringing the game into disrepute' undertones that led to Agen's European ban.

Wasps missed out on this season's Heineken Cup after finishing seventh in the Premiership.

But as Leicester, Bath, Sale, Gloucester and Northampton have already qualified, Wasps would take Quins' place if they were kicked out because they would occupy the sixth English spot.

Theoretically, Quins could be banned for up to three years and having seen Roma replace Calvisano in this season's European Challenge Cup because they were next in line to take the fourth Italian spot, Wasps have grounds to call on the ERC to take a similar approach.

The club remain tight lipped over a return to rugby union's premier European competition but a source told the Standard: "In theory, Harlequins could face expulsion and that means Wasps would take their place. It is the most viable option if such an event occurs."

Whatever happens it is clear that while Williams's wounds may not have been real, the scars left on Quins may take years to heal.

The club's proud name has been dragged through the mud amid allegations of cheating and Richards, who resigned on Saturday, now sees his reputation in tatters.

Quins chief executive Mark Evans is now in possession of the original ERC ruling and it doesn't make pretty reading.

Evans had presided over a rugby revolution in south-west London.

The club rose from relegation to National Division One in 2005 and made the last eight of the Heineken Cup four years later.

Attendances at the redeveloped Stoop averaged more than 10,000 last season and almost 50,000 watched the encounter with Leicester as Evans successfully moved his team across the A316 to Twickenham for the first of what he hoped would become an annual Christmas fixture at English rugby's HQ.

The clash was labelled the "Big Game" and Evans will now have the biggest of games ahead of him to convince a sceptical public that the Williams incident was a one-off.

For a team that captured the hearts of many, this has been a sour episode which could get much worse.