The Six Nations Disciplinary Committee has announced that France lock Paul Willemse has been suspended for four weeks after receiving a red card against Ireland.
The suspension means Willemse will miss the games against Scotland and Italy.
Willemse was given a yellow card in the eighth minute for a high tackle on Andrew Porter, with the Irishman leaving the field with a head injury.
Shortly after his return, the 31-year-old was shown a second yellow card, this time for a high tackle on Caelan Doris.
As it was the second such incident in a short period of time, the second tackle was reviewed and upgraded to a straight red card by the banker.
The Montpellier player appeared via video link before an independent disciplinary commission on Tuesday, where he was formally sanctioned.
“After considering the incident individually, including any relevant supporting statements and footage, the committee determined that the criteria for a red card was met for the citation, which also meant it was upheld,” the committee said. Stated.
“However, the committee found that while both actions were reckless, there was no evidence to suggest that the player acted maliciously in either case.” He also emphasized that he expressed himself well and showed remorse for his actions.
“In line with World Rugby’s mandatory guidelines, the sending-off incident justified a mid-range entry point of a six-week suspension. Mitigating factors were applied by the committee, reducing the six-week entry deadline by two weeks and A four-week sanction was imposed for this violation.”