British and Irish Lions hooker Dan Sheehan has been suspended for four matches following his illegal clear-out of Australia’s Tom Lynagh during Saturday’s third Test in Sydney.
The sanction will be reduced to three games, subject to the Ireland and Leinster player successfully completing a coaching intervention course.
Sheehan’s challenge in the first half of the Lions’ 22-12 loss at Accor Stadium went unpunished by Georgian referee Nika Amashukeli before he was retrospectively cited.
Replays showed the 26-year-old’s elbow appeared to make contact with his opponent’s head.
Wallabies fly-half Lynagh kicked a penalty moments after the incident but was then withdrawn for a head injury assessment (HIA) and did not return.
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Sheehan will be unavailable for Leinster’s pre-season match with Cardiff on September 13 and United Rugby Championship (URC) fixtures against South African sides the Stormers and the Sharks on September 26 and October 11 respectively.
If he serves the full four-match ban, the forward will also sit out his province’s URC derby with rivals Munster on October 18.
World Rugby’s independent review committee deemed Sheehan’s actions to be reckless, that contact was made with Lynagh’s head, and ruled the action amounted to a high degree of danger without mitigation.
Sheehan, who was captaining the Lions at the time after skipper Maro Itoje failed an HIA, has accepted the sanction.
However, in his submissions, the player did not agree foul play occurred or that the offence warranted the citing.
Despite their weekend loss, Andy Farrell’s Lions celebrated a 2-1 series success over Australia following victories in Brisbane and Melbourne.
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