Pape has been handed a TEN MATCH ban for his knee on Heaslip…
French lock Pascal Pape has been handed a 10-week ban for a knee in the back foul that left Ireland’s Jamie Heaslip with a fractured vertebrae.
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The former captain will miss the remainder of the Six Nations due to the incident which occurred in France’s 18-11 loss to Ireland in Dublin on Saturday.
According to AFP, Heaslip will be sidelined for at least four weeks but is expected to make a full recovery.
A Six Nations statement released on Thursday confirmed the ban.
“The Disciplinary Committee, chaired by Rod McKenzie (Scotland) along with Bill Dunlop (Scotland) and Ian Unsworth QC (England), having heard from the player and his representatives and viewed various TV angles of the incident, determined that Pascal Pape had committed an act of foul play which merited a red card rather than the on-field yellow card given by the Match Officials,” the statement read.
“The Disciplinary Committee decided that the offence should be categorised at the top end of World Rugby’s scale of seriousness and set an entry point of a 15 week suspension.
“It noted further the absence of aggravating factors and the existence of certain mitigating factors, including the player’s admission of foul play and his expressions of remorse for what had occurred and the injury sustained by his opponent, in applying a five week (33%) reduction from the entry point.
“Pascal Pape is suspended for 10 weeks and has the right of appeal.”
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