Rugby: Connacht's Mike McCarthy has been suspended for two weeks after his high tackle on Toulouse wing Vincent Clerc during last weekend's Heineken Cup defeat at the Sportsgrounds.
Though he can appeal, the ban will keep him out of action until Thursday December 8th, meaning he will miss the visits of Ospreys and Benetton Treviso to the Sportsground, but will return in time to be selected for the Heineken Cup clash with Gloucester at the Galway venue on Saturday, December 10th.
The flanker was yellow carded for the offence which contravened Law 10.4 and pleaded guilty in front of a disciplinary hearing after being cited by commissioner Bruce Reece-Russel (England).
Law 10.4 relates to a tackle above the shoulders even if it starts below them.
McCarthy argued the tackle was not worthy of a red card but the citing was upheld by judicial officer Roger Morris (Wales), who determined it was at the lower end of the scale for an offence of its type.
He added a week to the minimum two-week suspension but repealed it after considering McCarthy’s guilty plea and his disciplinary record.
