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Zebre hooker lucky to escape with 9-week ban for taking a chunk out of Connacht's Quinn Roux

Oliviero Fabiani appeared before a hearing in London earlier.

ZEBRE HOOKER OLIVIERO Fabiani has been suspended for nine weeks after biting Connacht’s Quinn Roux during the Champions Cup game last weekend.

The Italian international was today found guilty of infringing Law 10.4 (m) by an independent Disciplinary Hearing but is lucky to escape with a ‘low end’ punishment.

Robbie Henshaw and Oliviero Fabiani Fabiani tackling Robbie Henshaw during last year's Six Nations game in Dublin. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO

Television footage clearly showed Fabiani biting Roux in the 29th minute of Saturday’s game and was sent off by referee Mathieu Raynal.

The forward pleaded guilty to the offence and the committee found that the offence was mid-range of World Rugby’s sanctions and selected an 18-week ban as the appropriate entry point.

However, it was then cut to a nine-week suspension due to Fabiani’s ‘timely guilty plea, expression of remorse and clean disciplinary record.’

He has the right of appeal and is free to play again from 9 January 2017.

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