WORLD CUP: Fifth player banned for high tackle
DISCIPLINARY UPDATE: Uruguay hooker Facundo Gattas on Tuesday became the fifth player at the World Cup to be suspended for a dangerous tackle, following his red card in the 7-33 defeat to Georgia.
Gattas received a three-match ban from a disciplinary panel after failing to overturn his dismissal for a shoulder charge to the head of Georgia’s Shalva Sutiashvili in the Pool D match.
“The panel did not find that the referee’s decision was wrong and the red card was therefore upheld,” a statement said.
Gattas will miss Uruguay’s two remaining pool games against Australia and Wales, and either the quarter-final – if Uruguay qualify – or his next club match. He will be free to play again on October 21.
World Rugby is cracking down on high tackles, which have been linked to concussions, although policing them has been controversial in Japan despite new guidelines for referees and teams.
Australia’s Reece Hodge received a three-match ban for a tackle that didn’t trigger any action on the field before the disciplinary panel gave three-game suspensions to Samoa’s Rey Lee-Lo and Motu Matu’u, who had both been yellow-carded.
American flank John Quill was banned for three games for a high shot that earned a red card, but England’s Piers Francis avoided a suspension for his challenge on USA fullback Will Hooley.
An appeal by Matu’u against his suspension was dismissed on Tuesday. He will be free to resume playing after the quarter-finals, if Samoa reach that stage, or on October 26.
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