Armitage to miss opening London Irish Pool games

Rugby: England back Delon Armitage was banned for five weeks on Tuesday for a dangerous tackle and striking with the knee, the…

Rugby:England back Delon Armitage was banned for five weeks on Tuesday for a dangerous tackle and striking with the knee, the English Rugby Football Union (RFU) has said.

Armitage was playing for his club London Irish against Bath in a Premiership match on Oct. 29 when both incidents occurred.

He has already endured a dismal year on the disciplinary front, missing the Six Nations through suspension after pushing a doping official, banned in May for three weeks for punching and ruled out of the World Cup quarter-final against France for a high tackle.

"Delon has unfortunately had several disciplinary issues this year and it is a shame that he once again finds himself not playing," head of the RFU disciplinary panel Jeff Blackett said in a statement.

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"However, we hope that he will learn from these events and we look forward to him resuming the game he quite clearly feels very passionate about."

Armitage lost his place as England fullback to Ben Foden but was named in the World Cup squad and chosen to start on the wing for the team's opening match in New Zealand against Argentina.

He started three of the four pool matches and came on as a replacement in the other before missing the 19-12 defeat by the French in the last eight. London Irish face Edinburgh in their opening Heineken Cup match on November 14th and are away to Cardiff on November 18th. Their third pool match is on December 10th away to Racing Metro.