Wales lock Ian Evans is set to miss this season's Six Nations after receiving a 12-week ban on Thursday.
The Ospreys second row was sent off for stamping on Leinster's Mike McCarthy during a European Cup pool game in Dublin last Friday.
Evans accepted the offence at a disciplinary hearing in Dublin on Thursday, European Rugby Cup announced.
He cannot play again until April 21, although he does have the right of appeal.
If the 29-year-old Evans' suspension remains in place he will miss the whole of Wales' Six Nations title defence that starts at home to Italy on February 1 and concludes against Scotland on March 15.
Capped 32 times by Wales, Evans also toured Australia last year with a British and Irish Lions squad coached by Wales boss Warren Gatland.
ERC, in a statement, said English independent judicial officer Jeremy Summers was in no doubt about the severity of Evans's offence.
"In upholding the red card decision, the judicial officer stated that the incident involved at least two stamps which connected with McCarthy's head and which resulted in a serious facial wound," the statement said.
"Mr Summers also stated that there was no place in the game for conduct of this kind -- a view which Evans himself accepted during the hearing."
Gatland is due to name his team to play Italy on Tuesday, with either Newport's Andrew Coombs or Perpignan's Luke Charteris set to take Evans's place.
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