Lions prop binned for three weeks

Burly Lions prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye has copped a three-match suspension to follow the red card he was shown against Connacht in their United Rugby Championship (URC) match in Galway on Saturday evening.

However, should he complete the World Rugby coaching intervention programme the sanction will be reduced by one week.

Ntlabakanye was shown a red card by referee Craig Evans in the 15th minute of the game after a clumsy but reckless tackle that was deemed foul play under Law 9.13 (A player must not tackle an opponent early, late or dangerously. Dangerous tackling includes, but is not limited to, tackling or attempting to tackle an opponent above the line of the shoulders even if the tackle starts below the line of the shoulders).

The URC explained: “in the player's responses to the panel overseeing the disciplinary process (Simon Thomas, Chair, WRU [Welsh Rugby Union]; Nigel Williams, WRU; Beth Dickens, SRU [Scottish Rugby Union], he accepted he had committed an act of foul play but that it had not warranted a red card.

“The panel found the incident met the red card threshold, with entry of mid-range warranting six weeks. The player received three weeks (50%) mitigation due to his good record, apology to the player and his full engaged participation in the disciplinary process, which results in a three-game suspension.”

As it stands Ntlabakanye is unavailable for the Lions' matches against the Ospreys in the URC (March 30) and Benetton in the Challenge Cup (April 6). Should they qualify a Challenge Cup quarterfinal the next weekend he would miss that too. If not, he will miss the URC game against Leinster (April 20).