Europe: Dan Biggar cops three-week ban as suspensions fly

Northampton and Wales fly-half Dan Biggar has been suspended for three weeks by a disciplinary committee after being sent off against Gloucester in the Challenge Cup.

Biggar was given his marching orders for a high shot on opponent Chris Harris early in the second half. The independent disciplinary committee heard submissions from Biggar, who accepted the red card decision, from the Northampton Saints team manager, Maurice Hartery, and from the EPCR disciplinary officer, Liam McTiernan.

Clemency

The committee upheld the red card decision, finding that Biggar had made contact with Harris’ head. Biggar was suspended for six weeks, which was then halved on the basis of his good record and guilty plea.

Because of Northampton’s forthcoming fixture schedule, Biggar is free to play on Monday, May 23. However, if he applies for and completes a World Rugby coaching intervention, he will be free to play on Monday, May 2.

Biggar was one of several players banned in the wake of the European competition fortnight, which saw a huge number of cards of both colours and several unsavoury tackles and mid-air collisions in both competitions.

In the Champions Cup, Union Bordeaux-Begles number eight Ma’ama Vaipulu was, like Biggar, given a six-week ban for his high tackle on Jonathan Danty, but found less clemency on the basis of a poor disciplinary record and will serve all six weeks, meaning his season is all but over.

Toulouse’s Juan Cruz Mallia, sent off for a mid-air tackle in the first leg of his side’s clash with Ulster, had his eight-week ban halved on the basis of his disciplinary history, as did Sale Sharks wing Arron Reed, who was sent off for a high tackle on Bristol’s Luke Morahan.

However, La Rochelle fly-half Jules Plisson was found not guilty of an act of foul play serious enough to warrant a red card for his tackle on Union Bordeaux-Begles’ Yann Lesgourges late in that match. The committee found that Plisson had pulled out of contact enough to reduce the force involved in the tackle; his citing was dismissed.

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