Leinster’s Hayden Triggs handed 3-week ban after incident involving Nic White

LEINSTER WILL BE without Hayden Triggs for the next three weeks after the second row was found guilty of making contact with the eye area of Montpellier scrum-half Nic White.

Triggs will miss Friday’s Champions Cup clash with Castres as well as Guinness Pro12 fixtures against Treviso and Edinburgh after an independent Disciplinary Hearing decided that the offence was at the low end of World Rugby’s sanctions.

The Kiwi was cited under Law 10.4 (m) after the incident in the 44th minute of Leinster’s 57-3 win over the Top 14 outfit last Friday.

Triggs pleaded guilty to the offence with the committee determining that the charge was specifically for contact with the eye area, and not for contact with the eye(s), which now carries a different set of sanction entry point tariffs.

Four weeks was the initial suspension handed to Triggs but his guilty plea and expression of remorse was taken into account and the committee reduced the sanction to three.

He is free to play on Monday 20 February but has the right to appeal.

Meanwhile, Francois Steyn has been suspended for four weeks following his dangerous late tackle on Johnny Sexton during the same game.

The out-half was sent off by referee JP Doyle at the RDS and he pleaded guilty to the offence.

The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!