Brive duo suspended but Bowe walks free

Brive hooker Guillaume Ribes and lock Arnaud Méla have been slapped with hefty suspensions by the European Cup disciplinary commission.

Brive hooker Guillaume Ribes and lock Arnaud Méla have been slapped with hefty suspensions by the European Cup disciplinary commission.

Ribes was cited after being handed a red card during Brive's 36-2 loss to London Irish last week.

The hooker was found guilty of kicking an opponent and has been banned from all rugby until January 10.

Meanwhile, lock Arnaud Méla also fell foul of the judiciary, receiving a seven-week suspension for punching in the same game.

Méla was found guilty of punching Exiles hooker Danie Coetzee, but with two previous suspensions for the same offence hanging over his head, Judicial Officer Robert Williams of Wales took a dim view of the third transgression and suspended Méla up to and including January 31 next year.

The Ospreys' Tommy Bowe also had his citing for a dangerous tackle upheld, but it was decided that as the offence would not have been serious enough to warrant a red card, Bowe would not be suspended.

The hearings of Julien Dupuy and David Attoub for gouging were adjourned until Friday 0730 GMT after a significant delay of the flight from Paris for the two players.