French pair suspended for punching

French pair Renaud Boyoud and Imanol Harinordoquy have both been suspended for three weeks after being found guilty of punching during France's 40-10 defeat to Australia on Saturday.

French pair Renaud Boyoud and Imanol Harinordoquy have both been suspended for three weeks after being found guilty of punching during France's 40-10 defeat to Australia on Saturday.

Both were found guilty of punching – in separate instances – Wallaby lock James Horwill during a first-half dust-up in the Brisbane Test.

Both pleaded guilty to the charge, and will be suspended from August 1-22 inclusive.

Judicial Officer Christopher Quinlan decided both offences were in the mid range of seriousness with the players breaching Law 10.4(a) – striking an opponent.

He found Harinordoquy threw “deliberate and repeated blows to the head/face of the Australian number four”.

Boyoud was found to have struck Horwill once “but it was a significant blow, struck from behind”.

The entry point for a mid-range offence is five weeks.

Mr Quinlan took into account mitigating factors, in that both players expressed regret and remorse, before reducing their periods of suspension to three weeks.