France lock Pascal Pape has appealed the 10-week ban he received after kneeing Ireland’s Jamie Heaslip during their Six Nations clash, the tournament’s committee announced on Friday.
Heaslip suffered three fractured vertebrae as a result of the foul with the committee saying last week only Pape’s “expressions of remorse” had saved him from a longer ban.
The 34-year-old forward’s appeal for the foul in France’s 18-11 loss at Lansdowne Road a fortnight ago will be heard in London next week.
“The appeal is on the grounds that the 10 week suspension was excessive & disproportionate”, the Six Nations disciplinary committee explained in a statement.
France coach Philippe Saint-Andre, who said the morning after the game that he hadn’t seen anything intentional in what Pape had done, felt the punishment was “very very severe”.
“It was his last Six Nations, it is a shame it will finish like that for him and the France team,” he said.
The former French captain is set to retire from the international game after this year’s World Cup.
France face Wales on Saturday in a must-win clash to keep alive their outside hopes of claiming the championship.