Sam Cane banned for two games after Rugby World Cup final red card

New Zealand captain Sam Cane has been handed a two-match ban for the tackle which saw him sent off during last month’s Rugby World Cup final.

In the 27th minute of the All Blacks’ defeat to South Africa in Paris, Cane made contact with the head of Jesse Kriel when making a tackle. Referee Wayne Barnes deemed the collision worth of a yellow card, with the TMO bunker later upgrading the decision to red.

On Monday, Cane appeared before a disciplinary committee which vindicated the decision to send the backrow off. The committee deemed the mid-range entry point for foul play sufficient, with the initial ban set at six matches. This was halved due to Cane’s “clear remorse”, his clean disciplinary record up to this point an “early acknowledgement of foul play.”

The backrow forward told the hearing that he accepted foul play had occurred. However, he did challenge the decision made in the bunker that his actions warranted a red card.

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Cane intends to attend World Rugby’s coaching intervention programme, also known as tackle school, to take one game off his three-match ban.

On that basis, Cane, who is to move to Japan to take up a contract with Suntory Sungoliath, would miss his new team’s fixtures vs Toshiba and Panasonic on November 18 and 25 respectively.

Cane has 48 hours from the decision to appeal should he choose to do so.