France’s Bordeaux (AP) — Due to his red card against Namibia, New Zealand prop Ethan de Groot was suspended for three Rugby World Cup matches on Monday.
He will miss the All Blacks’ final two Pool A matches in Lyon, on September 29 against Italy and October 5 against Uruguay.
If New Zealand advances to the quarterfinals, the suspension ends there, but he will be eligible to play after finishing tackle school.
After speaking with , Adriaan Booysenthe head of Namibia, De Groot was given a yellow card on Friday in Toulouse.
However, following a further review, the card was upgraded to red for charging Booysen without making an attempt to wrap him.
De Groot acknowledged foul play during his judiciary hearing, but he didn’t think it warranted a red card.
De Groot may have dropped his tackle, which was risky and always prohibited, according to the panel.
The prop’s stellar disciplinary record resulted in the panel’s sentence being lowered from its original six-week term.
