France

Parra hearing for head butt fast-tracked

ESPN Staff

Morgan Parra heads off after being shown the red card © Getty Images Enlarge

French scrum-half Morgan Parra will learn on Thursday if he will be able to play for France against Scotland in Edinburgh on March 8.

Parra, who was called into the 30-man provisional French squad on Tuesday, faces a disciplinary hearing after being red carded for head-butting an opponent in last weekend's Top 14.

Originally the hearing was scheduled for March 12 - four days after the Scotland tie - and Parra would not have been able to play until then. But both the player and his club, Clermont, requested it be brought forward to Wednesday.

He is facing an automatic two-week ban unless the hearing decides to overturn what was a harsh dismissal. If the ban stands he will miss the Scotland game but be available for the crucial meeting against Ireland on March 15.

Although Parra did make contact with the head of Rene Ranger of Montpellier, it will be argued it was an immediate reaction to a hard tackle made from an offside position rather than a calculated butt. Ranger, who was not hurt, was yellow carded for his tackle. What might count against Parra is that he was sent off in October for punching an opponent.

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