Mallia (Toulouse) suspended 4 weeks, 6 weeks for Vaipulu (UBB)
Argentine winger from Toulouse Juan Cruz Mallia, expelled in the round of 16 first leg of the European Rugby Cup against Ulster, has been suspended for four weeks, the competition organizer EPCR announced on Wednesday. The 25-year-old international had received a red card in the 11th minute of the match for having mowed down his vis-à-vis the Irishman Ben Moxham, landed on his head and forced to leave the field.
Already deprived of the return match last Saturday in Belfast, Mallia will not be able to resume competition before May 9. He will therefore miss the next two Top 14 matches, Saturday against Toulon, then next week against La Rochelle, as well as the quarter-final of the European Cup against the Irish province of Munster. Bad news for Stade Toulousain, already deprived of the post of winger of the French international Matthis Lebel, victim of a dislocation of a thumb this weekend, and Arthur Bonneval, touched on the floor of the orbit.
The third line of Bordeaux-Bègles Ma’ama Vaipulu, expelled on Saturday during his team’s European round of 16 return to La Rochelle, was suspended for six weeks. The Tongan international was guilty of a high tackle on the three-quarter center Rochelais Jonathan Danty. Currently 2nd in the Top 14, the UBB is eliminated from the European Cup, of which it had reached the last four last year.