SAMOA CENTRE George Pisi is set to miss the remainder of his country’s matches in November after he was handed a six-week ban for a tip tackle on Ireland wing Tommy Bowe during last Saturday’s 40-9 hammering by the Irish at Lansdowne Road.
The 27-year-old — who plays for English side Northampton — managed to convince the three-man disciplinary panel in London that it was not a dangerous tackle as cited but a tip tackle which carries a lesser ban.
Pisi, however, failed to persuade the panel that it wasn’t a red card offence — he only received a yellow from referee Steve Walsh. On that basis the committee decided their punishment warranted a mid-range entry point of an eight-week suspension.
That was then increased by two weeks as a deterrent with regard to tip tackles, before four weeks were taken off after various mitigating factors were taken into account.
Pisi, who has the right of appeal, cannot play again until December 23 which rules him out not only of club matches in December — including a Heineken Cup double header against Leinster — but also Samoa’s game with the French Barbarians on Saturday and the game with Georgia the following weekend.
