Ireland star to miss start of Six Nations after being handed huge ban
01/06/2025 03:39 PM
Ulster prop Tom O’Toole will miss Ireland's opening two Six Nations matches after being handed a six-game suspension following his red card against Munster.
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The 26-year-old was dismissed for a dangerous clearout on Munster centre Alex Nankivell during Ulster's 22-19 defeat at Kingspan Stadium last month.
The United Rugby Championship's (URC) disciplinary panel confirmed that O’Toole had breached Law 9.20e, which states: "A player must not drop their weight onto an opponent or target the lower limbs."
Missing key fixtures
O’Toole, who played in three of Ireland’s Autumn Nations Series games, will be unavailable for the Six Nations opener against England in Dublin on 1 February, as well as the trip to Scotland on 9 February.
The suspension also rules him out of three Ulster fixtures, including their remaining Investec Champions Cup pool matches against Leicester Tigers and Exeter Chiefs, and a URC clash with Zebre at the end of January.
Initial 10-game ban reduced
Judicial officer Sheriff Mackie initially recommended a 10-game ban for the offence, which left Nankivell nursing a hamstring injury. However, O’Toole's sanction was reduced by 40% due to his early admission of foul play, immediate apology, and subsequent remorse.
The URC outlined the decision in a statement, noting that O’Toole had already missed Ulster’s trip to Connacht on 28 December as part of his ban.
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