Furious Scottish Rugby chiefs are to set appeal against the two-week suspension handed down to fly-half Finn Russell by a Six Nations discipline committee in London yesterday.
The ban, which would rule Russell out of the Scots next match, against Italy at Murrayfield on February 28, was handed down by the three-man committee - chaired by Mike Hamlin of England and including representatives from Ireland and France - who felt that the player had been treated too leniently when he was only yellow-carded for a challenge on Dan Biggar in last weekend's clash with Wales in Edinburgh.
The tribunal decreed that the card should have been red, but their decision attracted scorn on social media, with David Sole and Will Carling among a number of leading rugby figures who criticised the move.
Aside from anything else, the decision also raises further questions about the competence of match referee Glen Jackson, who made a number of wayward decisions during the match, which Scotland lost 23-26. Jackson and his television match official reviewed footage of the incident before deciding that a yellow card was the correct sanction.
A Scottish Rugby spokesperson said: "We are disappointed by the outcome of today's discipline committee meeting, and subsequent suspension of stand-off Finn Russell. Following the arrival of the written sanction later this week, we intend to appeal."
If the appeal is unsuccessful then Scotland coach Vern Cotter faces a massive selection headache ahead of the Italy game as Duncan Weir and Ruaridh Jackson, who would have been in line to step into Russell's position, are both sidelined by injuries at the moment.
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