Thursday 19 February 2015 17:05, UK
Pascal Pape has been banned for 10 weeks for kneeing Jamie Heaslip in the back during France's defeat to Ireland at the weekend.
Heaslip was left with three broken vertebrae following the incident in Dublin and Pape, yellow-carded at the time by referee Wayne Barnes, was later cited.
Pape has since made a public apology, and that contrition spared him a longer ban when a three-man disciplinary panel decided his fate on Thursday.
The panel ruled the offence was "at the top end of World Rugby's scale of seriousness" and set his suspension at 15 weeks before lopping off five weeks for "the player's admission of foul play and his expression of remorse for what had occurred".
Pape can appeal the sanction, but as it stands he will miss the rest of France's Six Nations campaign.
Law 10.4 (a) forbids a player from punching or striking an opponent but Heaslip accepted Pape's social media apology, tweeting: "@pascalpape thanks for your message. It's a physical game that we play and these things happen. I fully accept your apology."
The Ireland No 8 is expected to be out for a month and is already a doubt for the defending champions' final game of the tournament against Scotland on March 21.
Pape's suspension represents a blow for Les Bleus, who lost 18-11 at the Aviva Stadium and are now third in the table after two matches played.
