England’s Tom Curry has been handed an effective two-game suspension and will miss the Rugby World Cup Pool D matches against Japan and Chile.
The flanker was banned following his red card inside three minutes against Argentina on Saturday.
Curry clashed heads with Argentina fullback Juan Cruz Mallia as he attempted to make a tackle from an upright position and was initially given a yellow card by referee Mathieu Raynal, which was upgraded to red after a bunker review.
The 25-year-old attended an Independent Disciplinary Committee hearing in Paris on Tuesday and was handed a three-match ban, though he will be free to face Samoa on October 7 if he completes a coaching intervention programme – World Rugby’s “tackle school” – which he says he plans to do.
A statement from World Rugby said: “The player accepted that foul play occurred and that the offence warranted a red card. The committee noted that the offence carries a mandatory minimum mid-range sanction (six matches), and having considered the mitigating factors, including admission of foul play and correctness of the red card at the first opportunity, an exemplary disciplinary record, apology to the player and good character, reduced the sanction by the maximum mitigation of 50 per cent.”
England are already without captain Owen Farrell and No.8 Billy Vunipola for the Japan game as they serve out suspensions.