Bergamasco hit with 13-week ban
The incident happened towards the end of Wales’ 47-8 win over the Azzurri in Cardiff on Saturday.
Bergamasco’s case was heard by a three-man disciplinary committee and the decision took into account his guilty plea and other mitigating factors.
The ban will start on March 3, the date the 28-year-old is expected to recover from a shoulder injury. He will not therefore be able to play until June 2.
Meanwhile, France coach Marc Lievremont has made eight changes to his 22-man squad to take on Italy on March 9.
Centre Yannick Jauzion has been recalled after recovering from recent injury problems.
Julien Malzieu is also back to full fitness while Imanol Harinordoquy has earned a recall. Lievremont has also called up five uncapped players — Fabien Barcella, Guilhem Guirado, Ibrahim Diarra, Julien Tomas and Yann David — as Les Blues bid to get their championship hopes back on track.
France are looking to make it a hat-trick of Six Nations titles but a 24-13 defeat to England — their first in the tournament for eight years — has blown the championship race wide open.
* Wales coach Warren Gatland has released nine of his 29-man RBS Six Nations squad to play for their regions and clubs this weekend, including scrum half Dwayne Peel, at the player’s own request.
Peel will turn out for Llanelli Scarlets in their Magners League clash with Ulster Rugby in Belfast tomorrow night.
* England flanker James Haskell admitted he feared he may have suffered an injury similar to Arsenal striker Eduardo Da Silva.
The 22-year-old injured his left ankle in last weekend’s 24-13 RBS 6 Nations victory over France and is fighting to be fit for the Calcutta Cup clash with Scotland on March 8.
A scan yesterday confirmed he damaged the posterior capsule, but Wasps star Haskell had the horrific broken leg suffered by Eduardo against Birmingham on the same day in his mind.
He said: “My knee went one way, and my upper half went the other — so when I looked down, I thought I might have an injury like Eduardo, and that some bone might be sticking out of my sock.
“With the help of the England medical staff and the Wasps’ medical staff, I hope I’ll be back and in contention for selection.”
Haskell, who will definitely miss Wasps’ Guinness Premiership clash with Newcastle on Friday, suffered the damage after his foot was caught at an awkward angle under a pile of bodies.
A club statement read: “He has begun a programme of intensive rehab with the aim of being fit and available for selection before England’s match against Scotland on March 8.”.
If Haskell fails to recover, Tom Croft would be his likely replacement against Scotland after the Leicester loose forward made an impressive Test debut off the bench in Paris.
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