Scotland vice-captain Grant Gilchrist will miss the final two games of the Guinness Six Nations after receiving a three-week ban for his red card against France last week.
The 32-year-old lock was sent off for the first time in his career – which includes 62 appearances for his country – after only six minutes in Paris. He went in high on Anthony Jelonch and caught the flanker on the head with his shoulder.
As expected, the disciplinary panel found the incident warranted a red card and applied World Rugby’s mandatory minimum mid-range entry point for foul play resulting in contact with the head.
This means a starting point of a six week suspension, but the panel reduced it to three after accepting mitigating factors of an early acknowledgement by the player that the incident warranted a red card; the lack of intent and premeditation and clearly expressed remorse.
Gilchrist has applied to take part in the Coaching Intervention Programme to take a further week off the ban.
Back against Connacht on March 18
He will therefore be available for Edinburgh’s URC game against Connacht on March 25, but he will miss Sunday’s Six Nations game against Ireland and the final game of the championship against Italy on March 18.
Gilchrist’s hearing before a three-person panel of Brenda Heather-Latu (Samoa), Becky Essex (England) and Donal Courtney (Ireland) was delayed a week for unspecified reasons.
Last week Mohamed Haouas, sent off for France in the same game, was given an identical ban although it was his second red card in the Six Nations.
Gilchrist has been a fixture in the Scotland side for the last two years, starting all but two of 19 test matches in that spell. He was captain for the first two tests of last year’s tour to Argentina before missing the final test through injury.
Exeter’s Jonny Gray will be favourite to play alongside elder brother Richie in the second row against Ireland. Sam Skinner will also come into contention with it likely that Scott Cummings is called up to the squad again after injury.