Pascal Pape loses appeal into ban for Jamie Heaslip foul

Pascal Pape’s RBS 6 Nations career has ended in acrimony after the France lock lost his appeal against a 10-week ban for kneeing Ireland’s Jamie Heaslip in the back. 

Pape had claimed the 10-week sanction was “excessive and disproportionate”, but a Six Nations disciplinary committee threw out his case at a hearing in London.

The 34-year-old is set to retire from Test rugby after the autumn’s World Cup: now his last meaningful Six Nations contribution has become the challenge that left Heaslip with three cracked vertebrae in his back.

“The appeal committee, having considered submissions on behalf of the player and on behalf of the Six Nations disciplinary officer, dismissed the appeal with the result that the original sanction of a 10-week suspension stands,” read a Six Nations statement.

Stade Francais lock Pape was sin-binned by referee Wayne Barnes for kneeing Heaslip in Ireland’s 18-11 victory in Dublin on February 14 and later cited. The former Bourgoin second-row will now be forced to sit out of action until May 18.