FRENCH SUPERSTAR ANTOINE DUPONT will be able to play against Munster in the Champions Cup on 11 December after a recent ban was reduced on appeal.
The scrum half was given a four-week ban for his mid-air tackle on Cheslin Kolbe in France's game against South Africa on the 12th of November.
The initial ban of four weeks has now been cut down to four weeks, meaning the World Player of the Year will now play against Graham Rowntree's men next month.
Dupont, who has been exceptional for club and country, is now free to play immediately, which includes a Toulouse trip to Thomond Park.
Straight red card for Antoine Dupont 🟥
No arguments there. Kolbe lucky to have avoided serious, serious injury pic.twitter.com/YHgmFy8KJo— Pat McCarry (@patmccarry) November 12, 2022
Dupont broke Law 9.17 whereby “a player must not tackle, charge, pull, push or grasp an opponent whose feet are off the ground”.
The Appeal Committee decided that a breach of Law 9.17 “does not mandate a minimum entry point of mid-range (eight weeks)” and “concluded that his conduct merited a lower end entry point, and with an appropriate reduction for mitigation, imposed a sanction of two weeks.”
In a separate case Springbok prop Thomas du Toit received a six-week ban reduced to three weeks for his red card -- for a high tackle on Luke Cowan-Dickie -- in last Saturday's 27-13 win over England.
His suspension will see him miss his side Sharks' first Champions Cup matches against English outfit Harlequins and Top 14 team Bordeaux-Begles in what is the first season South African franchises are to compete in the competition
