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VIDEO: David Pocock handed ban for choking out opponent MMA-style
Published 09:21 4 Apr 2016 BST
Updated 10:50 5 Apr 2016 BST
Homerugby
David Pocock will have quite a lot of free time on his hands in the coming weeks.
The Australian back-row has been hit with a three-week ban for his very dangerous actions in a Super Rugby game at the weekend. The Aussie vice-captain was cited for an illegal neck-hold that he seems to be perfecting as a way to disarm, and incapacitate, opponents. The flanker was caught on camera involved in serious foul play on Michael Lietch in a maul late in the Brumbies 48-23 win over the Chiefs on Saturday night. Pocock avoided sanction at the time, but if the referee had seen it, there is little doubt he would have been red carded, especially when you see Lietch trying to 'tap-out' MMA style to make Pocock stop. SANZAR Duty Judicial Officer Adam Cassleden said:"With respect to sanction I deemed the act of foul play merited a low-end entry point of two weeks. I then added one week for aggravation due to the need to deter this type of dangerous foul play. "However, taking into account mitigating factors including the player's early plea, his good character, his genuine remorse and his excellent disciplinary record I reduced the suspension to a period of two weeks."Two weeks for this brutal passage of play seems feather-light to us: https://twitter.com/threeredkings/status/716753830176825344
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