London Irish prop Ollie Watkins banned for one week
By PA Media
Last Updated: 03/12/19 9:10pm
London Irish prop Ollie Hoskins has been banned for one week after his red card at Bristol.
Hoskins was sent off just before half-time in the 27-27 Gallagher Premiership draw on Sunday for making contact with Bears lock forward Chris Vui's head at the breakdown.
The 26-year-old Australian accepted the charge of dangerous play in a ruck or maul, contrary to World Rugby Law 9.20, at an independent disciplinary panel in London on Tuesday.
Independent panel chair Richard Whittam QC said: "The player pleaded guilty to the red card and accepted that contact was made above the line of the shoulders of the Bristol player. He did not accept that he had made contact with the head or neck area.
"The panel viewed the footage from a number of angles with the benefit of real time and slow motion.
"Having carefully analysed the footage, they were satisfied to the requisite standard that the contact was shoulder to shoulder.
"The Bristol player fell to ground as a result of a second tackle from London Irish 11 and not as a result of being cleared out by the player as first thought.
"The player accepted the red card, has a clean disciplinary record and apologised for his actions. He was allowed the full mitigation in this instance which reduced the suspension to one week."
Hoskins will miss Irish's European Challenge Cup clash in Toulon on Saturday, but will be available for the home tie against the same opposition at the Madejski Stadium the following weekend.
