Lassissi banned, case against Clohessy dropped

Castres forward Ismaella Lassissi has been banned for 12 months for biting Munster’s Peter Clohessy during last Saturday’s European Cup match.

After lengthy deliberations, a three-man disciplinary committee appointed by European Rugby Cup Ltd (ERC) took the decision to ban the Ivory Coast-born number eight. The ban will take immediate effect. Lassissi has three days to lodge an appeal, should he choose to do so.

The citation against Clohessy, in which Castres alleged the Munster prop racially abused Lassissi during the match, was dropped by the French club before the hearing.

Castres had initially claimed Lassissi "was subject to repeated racist and discriminatory comments" but today decided not to proceed with the matter prior to it going before the disciplinary panel.

The panel, meeting in Dublin, did find that the charge against Lassissi for biting had been proven. The ban may have grave repercussions for the long-term career of the player. At 32, a year out of the game will cast doubts on whether a comeback in 12 months time is feasible.