JOHN RYAN WILL serve his three-match ban in full after Munster’s appeal against the prop’s suspension was dismissed on Friday.
Ryan was hit with the ban after he was cited for a dangerous clearout in the United Rugby Championship win against Cardiff last weekend.
While Ryan accepted that he had committed an act of foul play, he believed that it was not a red-card offence, and that the yellow card originally issued by the match officials had been the correct decision.
Munster subsequently lodged an appeal on his behalf on Thursday, and named him in their matchday 23 for Sunday’s Champions Cup knockout clash against Northampton, pending the outcome of the appeal.
An Appeal Panel consisting of Declan Goodwin (Chair, Wales), Achille Reali & Andrea Caranci (both Italy) dismissed the appeal on Friday and upheld the original three-match ban.
As well as Sunday’s Champions Cup clash, Ryan would also miss a potential quarter-final next weekend should Munster progress, as well as the first stop of the province’s South African URC tour against the Bulls on 20 April.
In the event of a European exit this weekend, Ryan would miss Munster’s visit to the Lions on 27 April as the third match of his suspension.
Academy prop Mark Donnelly replaces Ryan on the bench for Sunday’s game at Franklin’s Gardens, where he is in line to make his ninth senior appearance for the province.
