Judiciary throws the book at Tincu

Perpignan and Romania hooker Marius Tincu has been suspended for eighteen weeks for gouging the eye of Ospreys prop Paul James in last month's Heineken Cup match.

Perpignan and Romania hooker Marius Tincu has been suspended for eighteen weeks for gouging the eye of Ospreys prop Paul James in last month's Heineken Cup match.

James, who threw a retaliatory punch, has been banned for one week for his part in the incident, which took place towards the end of the first half of the match, but is already free to resume playing having served a one-week ban imposed by the Ospreys after the incident.

Tincu is banned until March 9 next year, and will miss a good portion of his side's Top 14 programme as well as the remaining Pool matches in the Heineken Cup against Leicester (twice), the Ospreys and Treviso.