Scotland now have Ross Ford and Johnny Gray available for their World Cup quarter final against Australia.
Both players were banned for three weeks after they were deemed to have teamed up to tip tackle a Samoan player in their Pool B victory, last Saturday.
BREAKING: Ford & Gray are free to play with immediate effect after Scottish Rugby successfully appealed 3-week ban. pic.twitter.com/Wx0UWg6wWq
— Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) October 17, 2015
This may now lead to a series of changes in the Scotland match-day 23 to take on the Wallabies at Twickenham tomorrow.
Here is the team that was named on Friday afternoon:
Scotland team named for #RWC2015 Quarter-Final #AsOne >> http://t.co/H1Tumd8T1O pic.twitter.com/dhEz4sbT1g
— Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) October 16, 2015
Ford and Gray may now reclaim respective spots at hooker and lock in Vern Cotter’s team.
Both Scots were initially banned for five weeks but had two weeks shaved off for ‘the players’ conduct prior to and at the hearing, their expressions of regret, exemplary characters and excellent disciplinary records’.
Scotland appealed the bans and, with just over a day to their pivotal meeting with the Wallabies, they have been boosted with the decision backing down.
It adds to the confusion, and consternation, of World Rugby’s extremely subjective citing and appeals process.
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