Tonga's Taumalolo gets four-week ban

Tonga's Sona Taumalolo will miss his team's Cardiff encounter with Wales on Friday after being given a ban for punching a player during a Test with France.

Tonga prop Sona Taumalolo has received a four-week ban and will miss his side's clash against Wales at the Millennium Stadium.

Taumalolo was sent off for punching France lock Yoann Maestri, who was also red-carded for striking Taumalolo in the same incident, during last weekend's game in Le Havre.

Both players appeared before an independent three-man disciplinary committee in London on Tuesday, but Maestri's red card was deemed a sufficient sanction and no suspension was imposed.

Autumn internationals disciplinary chiefs said the panel heard representations from, and on behalf, of both players, and studied video evidence of the second-half incident.

"Both players had accepted prior to the hearing that their actions had warranted a red card, and the committee deemed that Sona Taumalolo's offence was in the mid-range of the IRB's sanctions (five weeks), allowing one week off for mitigating factors," read a statement, released by the autumn international disciplinary.

"Sona Taumalolo is free to resume playing on 16 December 2013, and both players have the right of appeal."


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Source: AAP


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