Lomu banned

ALL BLACK winger Jonah Lomu was banned for a week from yesterday after a disciplinary panel found him guilty of a spear tackle.

Lomu was to have played for his provincial Counties Manukau side in the first division final against Auckland on Sunday.

New Zealand Rugby Football Union commissioner David Howman accused him of making a dangerous tackle on Canterbury fullback Kieran Flynn during Counties 46-33 semi finals win in Pukekohe last Sunday.

Flynn was not injured in the tackle and the incident went unnoticed by match officials.

Judicial committee chairman Bruce Squire said the committee accepted that the tackle was not effected with any intent on Lomu's part to cause injury to the Canterbury player "and that absence of intent was a significant factor in the assessment of penalty."

But the committee concluded that the tackle was dangerous because of the capacity for serious injury it carried.