The Exeter and Wales prop Tomas Francis has been banned for eight weeks after he was adjudged to have recklessly made contact with the eye area of Dan Cole during his side's defeat by England on Saturday.
Francis, whose ban was reduced from 12 weeks by an independent Six Nations disciplinary committee in London, will miss Wales's final Six Nations match against Italy on Saturday as well as Exeter's remaining Premiership matches and their European Champions Cup quarter-final away to Wasps next month.
The match referee Craig Joubert awarded just a penalty at the time of the 71st-minute incident, during which Cole received a yellow card for an infringement at a ruck, but informed Francis that he may face further action and he was cited on Sunday.
A Six Nations statement read: “The disciplinary committee ? having considered all of the evidence, including various clips of TV footage, and listened to representations by, and on behalf, of Mr Francis, found that he had recklessly made contact with the eye or eye area of an opponent, which had been worthy of a red card.
“The disciplinary committee heard submissions on sanction before concluding that the offending be characterised as being at the lower end of World Rugby’s scale of seriousness for this type of offending, which has an entry point of 12 weeks. The disciplinary committee was then required to consider aggravating and mitigating factors, which it did before concluding that the appropriate sanction be a playing suspension of eight weeks. Mr Francis is free to play again on Monday, 9th May 2016. He was reminded of his right of appeal.”
Earlier on Tuesday Francis was named on the replacements’ bench for Wales’s clash with Italy, pending the outcome of the hearing. His place will now be taken by Aaron Jarvis.
Francis is free to play again on Monday 9th May, meaning he will be available should Exeter, currently second in the table, reach the Premiership play-offs while he could also appear in the Champions Cup final should the Chiefs get there. His next international appearance is likely to be back at Twickenham against England on 29th May.
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