Banned Rees set to miss Six Nations

WALES and Cardiff scrum-half Richie Rees looks set to miss the entire RBS 6 Nations campaign after being handed a 12-week ban by an independent European Rugby Cup disciplinary panel for making contact with the eye of Northampton hooker Dylan Hartley in a Heineken Cup match last month.

Rees appeared before an independent disciplinary hearing in Dublin yesterday as a result of the citing complaint arising from the Pool One match against Saints at Cardiff City Stadium on Sunday, December 19.

The citing complaint made by the citing commissioner for the match, Murray Whyte (Ireland), was for acts contrary to good sportsmanship in contravention of law 10.4(m) in that Rees had made contact with the eye/eye area of Hartley.