SYDNEY (AP) — Italy prop Marco Riccioni has been suspended for two weeks after being found guilty of unsportsmanlike conduct in his team’s 57-10 loss to Australia in last Saturday’s Nations Championship rugby test.
Riccioni received a red card in the 66th minute of the match at Perth, Western Australia. He had already been replaced when he got involved in a wrestle between players spilled from the field into the technical area and knocked some Italy support staff off their chairs.
The tournament’s Foul Play Review committee on Wednesday announced the suspension, the third involving Italy in two weeks.
The committee said the foul play could have merited a four-week suspension but it was reduced to two because of Riccioni’s admission of guilt and his previous disciplinary record.
Riccioni, who will miss two matches in August for Perpignan in France’s Top 14 league, is the third Italian player or coach to be suspended on the Nations Championship tour.
Italy head coach Gonzalo Quesada had his two-match suspension reduced to one last week after facing a misconduct hearing in regard to referee criticism following Italy’s 47-17 loss to New Zealand on July 11.
And Italy lock Niccolo Cannone was suspended for four weeks after being sent off for head-butting in the loss to the All Blacks at Wellington.
Italy lost its first three games in the Nations Championship, with the defeats in Australia and New Zealand following a 27-10 loss to Japan in Tokyo on July 4.
