WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) 鈥� Italy lock Niccolo Cannone has been suspended for four weeks after being sent off for head-butting in the rugby test on Saturday.
Cannone was shown a yellow card in 52nd minute for head-butting New Zealand scrumhalf Cam Roigard at a ruck. That was upgraded later to a red card, leaving Italy with 14 players for 20 minutes of a 47-17 loss.
A tournament foul play review committee on Tuesday found Cannone guilty of physical abuse under law 9.12.
鈥淭he FPRC determined that the act of foul play merited a low-end entry point of six weeks/matches,鈥� the committee said in a statement. 鈥淚n light of Cannone鈥檚 acceptance that he committed an act of foul play worthy of ordering off, as well as mitigating factors such as his disciplinary record, conduct, and remorse, the FPRC applied a 2-week reduction to the sanction.鈥�
The suspension means Cannone will miss Italy’s at Perth on Saturday.
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