RUGBY: Wales centre Gavin Henson will miss the Six Nations champions' opening three matches next year after he was suspended yesterday for deliberately elbowing an opponent in a Heineken European Cup match.
The Ospreys centre was cited after elbowing Leicester prop Alex Moreno, breaking his nose, and aiming a kick at the same player during last Sunday's game in Swansea.
A three-man European Rugby Cup disciplinary tribunal in Glasgow yesterday upheld the citing commissioner's decision that Henson had intentionally elbowed Moreno. They cleared him of the kicking charge. "The player was suspended for 10 weeks and two days starting with immediate effect," the ERC said in a statement. "The suspension will run up to and including Sunday 5th March, 2006."
Wales open their campaign against England at Twickenham on February 4th. They then meet Scotland at the Millennium Stadium on February 12th and face Ireland at Lansdowne Road on February 26th before Henson becomes available for the final two matches against Italy and France.
Henson's team-mate Ian Evans was banned for eight weeks and two days after he admitted stamping on England scrumhalf Harry Ellis in the same match. Henson refused to speak after the hearing but a statement was read out on his behalf.
Derwyn Jones, the Ospreys team manager, said: "We are very disappointed with both verdicts and we will now consider our position as to whether or not to appeal the sanctions imposed."
