Schalk Brits has been banned for three matches for his punch on Owen Farrell during yesterday’s encounter between the Lions and the Barbarians.
Brits unleashed a powerful left hook on his Saracens teammate in the early stages of yesterday’s game, as the 21 year old out half was holding Brits’ jersey at a ruck. Brits was given a yellow card, with referee Steve Walsh telling him he would have seen red were it not for the nature of the game. "Because of the nature of the game it's only a yellow,” Walsh said.
Brits appeared before an IRB judicial officer, in Hong Kong, and although the standard punishment for this offence is five games the judicial officer, Steve Lewis, said that sentence was reduced to three "as a result of compelling mitigating factors".
An IRB statement released after the hearing read:
"The IRB's sanctions for foul play have been established on the basis that a one-week period of suspension would normally result in a player missing one match.
"Consequently, he is suspended from all rugby up to and including the third Aviva Premiership match of the 2013-14 season, unless the judicial officer confirms in writing that any pre-season match shall be considered meaningful for the purpose of regulation 17.19.11 (d), in which case such match shall be included as one of the three matches."
