Italian flanker to miss Irish match

Italian flanker Mauro Bergamasco will miss his side's Six Nations Championship match against Ireland at Stadio Flaminio on Saturday after being found guilty of foul play during last weekend's victory over Wales at the same venue.

The Italian was accused of striking Wales captain and outhalf Stephen Jones during the 23-20 victory, forcing the latter to leave the pitch to have an eye wound stitched.

Jones returned to the contest but complained of blurred vision in the aftermath. He received four stitches.

Bergamasco was cited for foul play by the independent citing commissioner Jean-Claude Legendre under the law that states a player must not strike an opponent with the fist or the arm.

At the hearing in London yesterday the three-man independent Six Nations disciplinary committee comprising Chris Quinlan RFU (chairman), Richard McGhee (SRU) and Mike Rafter (RFU), having listened to submissions by and on behalf of the player and viewed the video evidence of the incident, upheld the citing by Frenchman Legendre.

Bergamasco was suspended for four weeks, from March 12th, which means he is unable to resume playing until Monday April 9th and thereby misses Italy's final Six Nations game, against Ireland.

His absence will be a huge blow to Italy not just because the Stade Français star produced a man-of-the-match performance in his team's historic win, scoring the 77th-minute try that sealed victory, but also because of his generally abrasive presence.

The news came on foot of the confirmation that centre Gonzalo Canale would also miss the Irish match having sustained an injury to his left thigh in the victory over the Welsh.

Italy coach Pierre Berbizier will be buoyed, however, by the news the Benetton centre Matteo Barbini, Saracens hooker Fabio Ongaro and Arix Viadana flanker Josh Sole have all shaken off injuries and resumed training with the rest of the squad.

The Italian team for the Irish game is expected to be confirmed today.