Rugby:France and Stade Francais scrumhalf Julien Dupuy will appeal his six-month ban for gouging during their Heineken Cup defeat to Ulster at Ravenhill earlier this month.

The Frenchman picked up the ban after an ERC disciplinary hearing in Dublin last Friday for gouging flanker Stephen Ferris's eyes in an ill-tempered game won 23-13 by Ulster.

The ban means the 26-year-old, who has won six caps for France, will be out until June 3rd next year which rules him out of the annual Six Nations championship and effectively means his season is over.

By choosing to appeal he also runs the risk of the ERC increasing his ban.

France coach Marc Lievremont urged Dupuy to appeal the ban as he risks not being part of the tour to South Africa in the summer if the ban isn’t reduced. "I hope there is an appeal and that the ban is replaced by something more reasonable," said Lievremont.

Stade president Max Guazzini spoke out and said the ban was "excessive" and "anti-French".

"The ERC wanted to make an example of a symbolic player of Stade Francais and of the French team which has never had a disciplinary problem,” said Guazzini.

"It's not normal that a private organisation in Ireland prevents a club employee from working, from playing. It is we who pay him."

Dupuy’s team mate David Attoub was also cited for gouging in the same match but ERC officials at last week’s hearing could not come to a satisfactory conclusion and require further evidence.

His hearing was adjourned until January with an interim ban imposed on Attoub, pending the outcome of the hearing.

Last week both players issued a joint apology after their actions. "Again we apologise to the players and the Ulster club. Our actions were neither premeditated nor intentional," they said on the club's website (www.stade.fr).

"We also want to apologise to our club, players and staff for the negative image we have created."