LEINSTER WING FERGUS McFadden has been suspended for three weeks for his dangerous tackle in last weekend’s 30-23 win over Edinburgh.

The Ireland international was penalised for his hit on Damien Hoyland in the closing minutes of Leinster’s victory at the RDS, but referee Marius Mitrea and TMO Dermot Moloney did not find cause to card McFadden.

McFadden feels the effects of his hit on Hoyland. Source: Tommy Dickson/INPHO

However, McFadden was cited for the incident under Law 10.4 (e), which refers to dangerous tackles, and faced an independent Pro12 disciplinary committee in Cardiff today.

The 29-year-old denied committing an act of foul play, but the disciplinary committee made up of Welshmen Simon Thomas, Owain James and Roger Morris found that McFadden was guilty of committing “an act of foul play, by recklessly carrying out a high and dangerous tackle.”

McFadden’s actions merited a lower-end entry point on World Rugby’s scale of seriousness, meaning a two-week ban.

The disciplinary committee then added an additional week to the suspension “on account of an aggravating factor, namely the need for a deterrence to combat a pattern of offending.”

The committee also deemed that “there were insufficient mitigating factors to warrant any reduction in the playing suspension.”

McFadden is therefore banned for three weeks and will not be available to play until Monday 23 May.

That means the Ireland wing will miss Leinster’s final two regular season Pro12 games, against Ulster and Treviso, as well as their probable semi-final. McFadden would be available if Leinster make it to the league final on 28 May.

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