Hayden Triggs has been ruled out of Leinster's final Champions Cup pool game with Castres after the lock received a three-week ban.
The suspension is for making contact with the eye area of Montpellier's Nic White during last Friday's win at the RDS which secured top spot in Pool 4 for Leinster.
It had been feared a longer ban might rule New Zealander Triggs out of Leinster's quarter final after he was initially cited.
The low entry sanction for contact with the eye is 12 weeks, with the highest being 24 to 208 weeks. However, it was ruled that the infringement related to contact with the eye area rather than the eye itself, thus resulting in a different sanction length.
After today's hearing in Paris before the independent Disciplinary Committee, the EPCR confirmed: "An independent Disciplinary Committee consisting of Antony Davies (England), Chairman, Julien Berenger (France) and Pamela Woodman (Scotland), heard submissions from Triggs, who pleaded guilty to the offence, from the Leinster Rugby legal representative, Derek Hegarty, from the Leinster Rugby Head of Rugby Operations, Guy Easterby, and from the EPCR Disciplinary Officer, Liam McTiernan.
"In upholding the citing complaint, the Committee determined that the charge was specifically for contact with the eye area, and not for contact with the eye(s) which now carries a different set of sanction entry point tariffs."
A four week suspension is the low entry sanction for contact with the eye area but Triggs' ban was reduced by one because of other factors explained by the EPCR regarding admission of guilt and remorse: "Taking into account Triggs' guilty plea and his expression of remorse, the Committee reduced the sanction by one week before imposing a three-week suspension."
Triggs is available for action again from February 20th.
Meanwhile, Montpellier's Francois Steyn has been handed a four-week ban for his late challenge on Jonathan Sexton.
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