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Rugby Union

Freshwater and Vickery banned

20/12/2007

England front rows Perry Freshwater and Phil Vickery have been banned for four weeks and two weeks, respectively, after being cited for indiscipline.

Both internationals were called in front of a European Rugby Cup disciplinary board to answer charges over their behaviour in Heineken Cup matches over the last two weeks.

Perpignan captain Freshwater, who was a member of the England Rugby World Cup squad, was given a four-week suspension after pleading guilty to a charge of striking an opponent on Saturday.

The 34-year-old lashed out at London Irish flanker Kieran Roche, who suffered a fractured eye socket and faces a month on the sidelines to recover.

The offence was described as being "of mid-range in the level of seriousness" and Freshwater will not be eligible for selection again until January 15th.

England captain Vickery pleaded guilty to a charge of trampling an opponent during Wasps' Heineken Cup pool match against Clermont Auvergne on December 8th.

Vickery was handed a two-week ban for deliberately standing on lock forward Thibaut Privat, although the suspension has been backdated to December 12th when Wasps levied their own internal suspension against the player.

He is due to return to action after Christmas Day and so will miss this Saturday's Guinness Premiership match against Bristol but will return in time to face Bath on December 29th.