Fergus McFadden has been suspended for three weeks following his disciplinary hearing in Edinburgh on Wednesday.

The Leinster winger was cited after an incident in the Pro12 victory over Connacht on New Year’s Day for allegedly stamping or trampling on Ireland international Nathan White early in the first half at the RDS.

He appeared before a disciplinary committee in Scotland on Wednesday and was handed a five-week suspension reduced to three after consideration of his previous good disciplinary record and his acknowledgement of the offence.

The suspension will rule McFadden out of this Friday's Pro12 trip to Ospreys, as well as the Champions Cup clash with Bath at the RDS and the following week's visit to Wasps.

Leo Cullen's men are bottom of Pool 5 with no hope of qualification to the knockout rounds, but lie in second in the Pro12 having leapfrogged Connacht with that derby victory last Friday.

A Pro12 statement said: "Mr McFadden accepted that he had committed an act of foul play and that it would have warranted a red card.

"Accordingly, the Disciplinary Committee, chaired by Pamela Woodman, alongside Roddy Dunlop and John Kirk [all from Scotland], considered what would be the appropriate sanction.

"Mr McFadden is therefore suspended from playing rugby for a total of three weeks, up to and including Sunday 24 January 2016."

"Having viewed video footage of the incident, listened to evidence and representations from and on behalf of the player, and reviewed all of the other evidence, the Disciplinary Committee found that Mr McFadden had acted recklessly and that the offending merited a mid-range entry point based on World Rugby's scale of seriousness, which carries a five-week playing suspension.

"The Disciplinary Committee further found that there were no aggravating factors and that there were a number of mitigating factors [including Mr McFadden's acknowledgement of wrongdoing, his previous clean disciplinary record and his good conduct at the hearing] such that his playing suspension be reduced by two weeks.

"Mr McFadden is therefore suspended from playing rugby for a total of three weeks, up to and including Sunday 24 January 2016. Mr McFadden was reminded of his right of appeal."