French prop Mohamed Haouas has been suspended for three weeks for punching James Ritchie in his team's defeat to Scotland last Saturday.
The Six Nations released a statement on Wednesday afternoon explaining that "given his playing schedule," Haouas is free to resume playing on Tuesday April 14th. He can appeal the decision.
A previously unbeaten France team were reduced to 14 men in the 37th minute by the sending off of their 25-year-old Montpellier tight-head playing in his fourth test.
Haouas appeared before an independent disciplinary committee in London and accepted that he had committed an act of foul play that warranted a red card.
The committee agreed the act of foul play warranted a mid-range entry point (six weeks’ suspension), but that was reduced by three weeks due to mitigating factors, including good conduct, guilty plea and relative inexperience at international level.
