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Bradley Davies drops Donnacha Ryan, earning himself a seven-week ban. ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy

Game over: Bradley Davies banned for the rest of the Six Nations

The Welsh lock has been hit with a seven-week ban for his “tip tackle” on Ireland’s Donnacha Ryan.

WELSH LOCK BRADLEY DAVIES will miss the rest of this year’s Six Nations to serve a seven-week ban for a “tip tackle” on Ireland’s Donnacha Ryan.

Davies learned his fate at a disciplinary hearing in Heathrow today after he was cited for the incident, which took place during the second half of Wales’ 23-21 win at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday.

Replays showed that Davies clearly lifted and inverted Ryan before dropping him from a height, but after consulting with his assistant Dave Pearson, referee Wayne Barnes decided that a yellow card was sufficient punishment at the time.

A statement from the independent Six Nations Disciplinary Committee today said that the incident “merited a top end entry to the IRB’s table of sanctions.”

But in light of Davies’ “admission of guilt, his previous good disciplinary record and his conduct at the hearing,” his suspension was reduced from 12 weeks to seven and he will be eligible to return to action on 26 March.

One of Davies’ first games back is likely to be at the scene of the crime when the Cardiff Blues travel to Dublin to take on Leinster in the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup on 7 April.

Ireland’s Stephen Ferris is also due to appear in front of the disciplinary committee in London this afternoon. Ferris was cited after he conceded the game-winning penalty and received a yellow card for a “tip tackle” of his own on Welsh lock Ian Evans in the final minute.

A verdict in Ferris’s case is expected shortly after 3pm today.

Youtube credit: EllliotJack1

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11 Comments
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    Mute Blah Blah
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    Feb 8th 2012, 2:43 PM

    Good. I’m glad to hear that he is being properly reprimanded for his actions, that was one dangerous tackle.

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    Mute Aydo
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    Feb 8th 2012, 2:54 PM

    Scumbag knew exactly what he was at

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    Mute Tensing Norgay
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    Feb 8th 2012, 4:56 PM

    No way that’s propery reprimanded , it is only by the grace of God and good phsical conditioning that DR isnt paralysed or even Killed , dropping a 17 stone man on his head and neck off the ball is just about the worst thing you can do in rugby, IMO the act was worse than BOD in the lions tour . I know BODs injury ended up being far worse and that he was driven down but at least he had his hand free to stop his head from being driven into the ground . That Fcker shouldnt play again this season and that clown Dave pearson ,the so called assistat ref shouldnt be allowed ref our game on the weekend.

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    Mute Gerard Fitzgerald
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    Feb 8th 2012, 3:06 PM

    The welsh are getting too handy with these dangerous drop tackles,they whinged when it cost them their world cup dream and blamed the ref,who happened to be Irish,who can they blame now?A disgraceful tackle that should have cost them the game,but didnt !

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    Mute Jamie O Sullivan
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    Feb 8th 2012, 3:14 PM

    The intent to injure was there, plain to see. A straight red and a minimum of 16 weeks should be the punishment. A clear message to anyone that wants to behave like a thug. This seems a bit of a token effort, I don’t care about his previous admission or good record. That wouldn’t come to the table if D.Ryan was nursing a broken neck

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    Mute Ferg Breen
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    Feb 8th 2012, 3:15 PM

    Great decision.
    I think Ferris was unlucky to be yellow carded. Is that blind loyalty or do we agree that his wasn’t as malicious? I hope he doesn’t get the same punishment.

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    Mute Alan J McGrath
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    Feb 8th 2012, 3:44 PM

    Ferris has an impeccable disciplinary record and is in no way a dirty player ,I’ve met the guy and he’s a giant but a BFG , he didn’t deserve the card and doesn’t deserve to be further disciplined

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    Mute matt doyle
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    Feb 8th 2012, 5:32 PM

    Bradley is very lucky he was not up in front me GAA central hearings committee. He would surely be banned for life, look what they gave the Tyrone club side! 5 year ban for a bun fight.

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    Mute Paul Wallace
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    Feb 8th 2012, 8:04 PM

    @ Gerard and Jamie sounds like a load of sour grapes to me. The best team won…Grandslam is on

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    Mute Jamie O Sullivan
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    Feb 8th 2012, 9:54 PM

    C’mere to me, sausage! I never once insinuated the result of the game was wrong unless your vision is entirely askew. Wales were without question the better side and were full value for the win….however much typing that is sickening, it does not change the facts. The ref bottled the decision during the game. FACT. The ban is still only a token gesture, now shoo…away and win a Grand Slam

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    Mute Thomas Cooke
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    Feb 8th 2012, 7:37 PM

    A bit ” flipping” late isn’t it?

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