Toulouse star cops four-week ban
DISCIPLINARY NEWS: Toulouse captain Julien Marchand has been banned for four weeks.
Marchand was alleged to have tackled the Bordeaux-Bègles wing, Romain Buros, during the Champions Cup semi-final match at Stade Ernest Wallon.
The hooker appeared in front of a disciplinary panel on Wednesday, May 12 and was handed a four-week ban.
“Marchand is alleged to have tackled the Bordeaux-Begles wing, Romain Buros (No.14), in a dangerous manner in the 58th minute of the match in contravention of Law 9.13,” European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) said in a statement.
“The complaint was made by the match Citing Commissioner, Ed Kenny (Ireland).
“An independent Disciplinary Committee comprising Simon Thomas (Wales), Chair, Gareth Graham (England) and Antony Wheat (Ireland), considered video imagery of the incident and heard submissions from Marchand, who did not accept the charge, from the player’s legal representative, Neil Robertson, from Dr Johan Merbalh of the University of Toulon, from the Toulouse club president, Didier Lacroix, from the Toulouse Head Coach, Ugo Mola, and from the EPCR Disciplinary Officer, Liam McTiernan.
“The committee upheld the citing complaint, finding that Marchand had made contact with Buros’s head in a dangerous manner that warranted a red card. It then determined that the offence was at the mid-range of World Rugby’s sanctions and six weeks was selected as the appropriate entry point.
“There were no aggravating factors and taking into account the player’s clean disciplinary record and good conduct at the hearing, the committee reduced the sanction by two weeks before imposing a four-week suspension,”
Marchand is free to play on Monday, May 31 and both he and EPCR have the right to appeal the decision.
Toulouse, the four-time winners, face fellow French club La Rochelle in the final on May 22 at Twickenham, where up to 10 000 spectators will be present after an easing of coronavirus restrictions in England.
France are set to head to Australia in July for three Tests in their first fixtures since finishing second in this season’s Six Nations.
