Heineken Cup

Stade Français prop David Attoub will have to wait a few more days to find out the verdict of his appeal against a 70-week ban for eye-gouging.

An independent Appeal Committee sat in London on Tuesday, March 2, to hear the appeal brought by the Stade star, Attoub, against both the finding of foul play and level of sanction imposed by an Judicial Officer Jeff Blackett back in January.

The ban against Attoub was for gouging Ulster flank Stephen Ferris in the French club's Heineken Cup defeat at the hands Ulster in December.

Blackett, at the time, described Attoub's actions as "the worst act of contact with the eyes that I have had to deal with: it is a case of deliberate eye gouging".

On Tuesday the Appeal Committee, chaired by Professor Lorne Crerar (Scotland) and also comprising Rod McKenzie (Scotland) and Robert Williams (Wales), adjourned the hearing to consider the respective submissions made on behalf of Attoub and ERC.

The statement said the ERC Appeal Committee will give its decision on Friday, March 5.

Pat Barriscale (Ireland) was originally named as a member of the independent Appeal Committee, but withdrew and was replaced by Robert Williams (Wales).

Under the IRB Recommended Sanctions for Offences Committed within the Playing Enclosure, contact with the eyes/eye area carries the following range of penalties:
* Lower End: 12 weeks
* Middle Range: 18 weeks
* Top End: 24 weeks+
* Maximum Sanction: 156 weeks

Attoub's ban is the second-most severe to have been handed out for a gouging offence in the professional era, exceeded only by the two-year ban handed to Colomiers prop Richard Nones in 1999.