Ireland number 8 Jamie Heaslip has been served with a five-week ban following his red card during the humiliating Test defeat to New Zealand on Saturday.
Heaslip was sent off after just 15 minutes in New Plymouth for a kneeing offence against prostrate All Blacks captain Richie McCaw at a ruck beneath the New Zealand posts.
Ireland went on to lose the game 66-28 – setting records for the highest ever Test points total and the highest number of tries conceded (9) by an Irish side to the All Blacks.
Heaslip was cited after the game and a hearing was held overnight in New Zealand, with the Leinster forward – who admitted the offence but denied making any contact with McCaw’s head – handed a five-week suspension.
The ban will expire on 17 July but the only games Heaslip will miss are the final tour matches against New Zealand Maori next Friday and Australia eight days later, meaning that the final three weeks of the suspension are effectively meaningless.
