Shark Chabal hit by five-week ban

Sebastien Chabal has been suspended by the RFU for five weeks for stamping.

Sale number eight Sebastien Chabal has been banned for five weeks for stamping on former England captain Lawrence Dallaglio.

Chabal was cited after being sent off during the Premiership leaders' 26-16 defeat at the Causeway Stadium on Sunday.

The Frenchman, who also appeared to spit at Wasps' Fraser Waters as he left the field, was punished following an RFU disciplinary hearing in Brighouse on Monday evening.

His suspension rules him out of action until April 4, meaning he will miss the Sharks' Heineken Cup quarter-final against Biarritz on April 2.

Chabal was found guilty after a three-man panel backed up the decision of referee Roy Maybank to dismiss the player.

The panel of chairman John Spencer, Antony Davies and Dr Barry O'Driscoll imposed a two-week penalty for the stamping offence and three weeks for spitting.