Connacht prop Robertson-McCoy gets six-week ban for stamp

New Zealander stamped on the neck of Leinster’s Josh van der Flier

Connacht’s Dominic Robertson-McCoy is red carded by referee John Lacey during the Guinness Pro 14 game against Leinster at   the Sportsground. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho
Connacht’s Dominic Robertson-McCoy is red carded by referee John Lacey during the Guinness Pro 14 game against Leinster at the Sportsground. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho

Connacht prop Dominic Robertson-McCoy has been banned for six weeks after stamping on the neck of Leinster’s Josh van der Flier in last Saturday’s Guinness Pro 14 encounter at the Sportsground in Galway.

The 24-year-old New Zealander was shown a red card by referee John Lacey in the 69th minute of the game and only a minute after he had come on as a replacement for tighthead Finlay Bealham.

Robertson-McCoy apologised to Van der Flier after the game and his remorse over the incident was taken into consideration at his disciplinary hearing on Wednesday.

The panel determined that the act of foul play warranted a top-end entry point of 12 weeks but settled on six weeks after the full mitigation of 50 per cent was applied due to Robertson-McCoy’s previous clean disciplinary record, his early and full acknowledgement of his actions and the remorse he expressed.

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He is free to play from midnight Monday, November 19th and has the right to appeal the decision.