Cian Healy looks certain to miss Leinster's Champions Cup semi-final against ASM Clermont Auvergne in Lyon this Sunday.
The 29-year-old has been suspended for two weeks by an independent disciplinary committee under law 10.4 (h) – charging into a ruck – after being cited following last weekend’s victory over Connacht.
Leinster are not expected to appeal the decision.
In the 23rd minute of the Pro12 derby in Galway, Healy was accused of foul play under the above law and 10.4 (k), dangerous play, for illegally cleaning out Connacht’s Seán O’Brien.
Crucially, it seems, the citing commissioner Eugene Ryan noticed that Healy was not bound to a team-mate when he entered the ruck.
Healy contested the citing at a disciplinary hearing in Edinburgh on Wednesday evening but the loosehead prop, capped 67 times by Ireland, was found guilty of charging into a ruck.
The disciplinary committee of Pamela Woodman (chair), Kathrine Mackie and Roddy MacLeod (all Scotland) “agreed that the player had committed an act of foul play worthy of a red card under Law 10.4 (h)”.
Appeal
“The player can return to play on Monday, May 1st, 2017, and was reminded of his right to appeal.”
There was no mention in the Pro12 statement of Healy's previous record, which can be taken into account at disciplinary hearings, but Healy was suspended in 2015 for "striking" Toulon and France hooker Guilhem Guirado "with the knee" in a Champions Cup pool game.
He was sin-binned and subsequently received a two-week ban.
“I said at the time I didn’t feel it was a yellow card,” said Leinster coach Leo Cullen of the Guirado incident. “I didn’t think it was a penalty. He’s obviously had to face a charge. I feel the Toulon hooker Guirado rolled into the gate and I feel his actions were reckless. If players roll into the gate or the back of the tackle there is going to be bodies arriving to clean out that breakdown. That’s a fact.”
Healy was also suspended for three weeks back in 2013 for stamping on England tighthead prop Dan Cole during a Six Nations match in Dublin.
If Healy decides not to appeal, or it proves unsuccessful, then Cullen will look to Peter Dooley, Ed Byrne or Andrew Porter to be Jack McGrath’s understudy against Clermont.
