Leinster’s Fergus McFadden banned for three weeks

Leinster's Fergus McFadden has been banned for three-weeks for a dangerous tackle during his side's 30-23 win over Edinburgh at the RDS last Friday.

In the latter stages of the game the Ireland winger conceded a penalty after a high hit on Damien Hyland but avoided any further sanction.

However he was subsequently cited, and on Wednesday a Pro 12 disciplinary committee confirmed he will face a three-week suspension.

A Pro 12 statement read: "Mr McFadden denied committing an act of foul play. The Disciplinary Committee, chaired by Simon Thomas, alongside Owain James and Roger Morris (all from Wales), having viewed video footage of the incident, considered all of the other evidence and listened to representations from and on behalf of the player, found that Mr McFadden had committed an act of foul play, by recklessly carrying out a high and dangerous tackle.

“The Disciplinary Committee determined that the offending merited a lower-end entry point based on World Rugby’s scale of seriousness, which carries a two-week playing suspension. The Disciplinary Committee added a week to the entry point suspension (giving three weeks in total) on account of an aggravating factor, namely the need for a deterrence to combat a pattern of offending. The Disciplinary Committee determined that there were insufficient mitigating factors to warrant any reduction in the playing suspension, and Mr McFadden was therefore suspended for three weeks.

“Taking into account weeks in which Mr McFadden was not expected to play, he is suspended from playing rugby up to and including Sunday, 22 May 2016. Mr McFadden was reminded of his right of appeal.”

The ban means McFadden will be unavailable for Leinster’s trip to play Ulster on April 30th as well as their final game against Treviso on May 7th.

The 29-year-old will also miss Leinster's likely Pro 12 play-off on May 20th or 22nd, however he woill be available should Leinster make the Pro 12 final on May 28th.