SCOTT Higginbotham could to be rushed to Europe after Wallabies lock Rob Simmons was hit with an extraordinary eight-week ban for a dangerous tackle on French flanker Yannick Nyanga.

Simmons fronted an IRB judiciary hearing overnight and despite Wallaby confidence he could beat the charge, the big Queenslander was found guilty and slapped with a ban for "eight active weeks", which will expire on February 24.

The ban leaves the Wallabies with only two fit specialist locks for this weekend's Test with England, with Kane Douglas also injured.

The Wallabies said they were considering whether to appeal, but it would be assumed they have a strong case the penalty is excessive, particularly compared to the one-match ban given to All Blacks forward Adam Thomson yesterday for rucking a Scottish player's head.

Independent IRB judicial officer Robert Williams, of Wales, cranked up Simmons' penalty at one point to as high as 14 weeks but took six weeks off for his previously clean record.

"I haven't a chance to read the decision yet and we will have to do that before we decide if that's the end of the matter," Wallabies coach Robbie Deans said.

"There is the potential to appeal. We will to consider his decision, get the transcript of it. It is not something we would do lightly."

Even with an appeal, Simmons is not any chance to play again on tour so Higginbotham - whose two-match suspension for headbutting Richie McCaw expires after this weekend - is likely to be on a plane in the next day or two.

"Given the way things are, we will probably look to a replacement in the short run," Deans said.

"We have maintained contact with Scotty obviously. He continues to train, from the outset he was aware it wasn't the end of his tour prospects. He was hoping to have some involvement in the trip. He is the bloke who would have been here."

Dave Dennis will cover lock for the England Test but if Douglas isn't fit to play against Italy, Deans said it was possible a lock could join Higginbotham on the plane.

"We have got what we need for this game, Dave will cover that area. The key thing is to monitor Kane's progress," Deans said.

"If the medical staff believe it is marginal he would be available to us next week, we would probably have to bring in two replacements."

Originally published as Simmons cops eight-week ban