Martin Castrogiovanni out of Ireland game after stamp

Veteran Italian prop Martin Castrogiovanni is set to miss his side's Six Nations match with Ireland after he picked up a two-week ban for stamping.

The 34-year-old was cited for stamping on Scotland's Duncan Taylor during Saturday's Six Nations meeting in Rome.

Castrogiovanni, who has made 118 Test appearances for Italy, appeared as a second-half replacement in Scotland’s 36-20 victory at the Stadio Olimpico and appeared to direct a stamp towards Taylor’s foot.

The Italy forward appeared before the Six Nations disciplinary committee on Wednesday when he acknowledged that he had committed the act of foul play.

The committee announced that: “Mr Castrogiovanni, who has the right of appeal, is suspended up to and including Sunday 13 March 2016” meaning he will miss the 12 March trip to Ireland in Dublin.

The committee, chaired by Mike Hamlin (England), along with Tommy Dalton (Ireland) and Rhian Williams (Wales) said it "found that the act of foul play warranted a red card" but that "the act was at the lower end of World Rugby's sanctions, carrying a two-week suspension.

“Having considered the various mitigating factors involved, including the player’s admission and his regret at his actions, the disciplinary committee found that these were not sufficient to merit a reduction in the entry-point sanction and suspended Mr Castrogiovanni for two weeks.”

(Guardian service)