Fagerson's appeal hearing going ahead on Tuesday afternoon

Suspended Scotland prop Zander Fagerson will have the appealed of his four-match Six Nations ban heard on Tuesday afternoon when he appears before an independent disciplinary committee by video conference seven days after his suspension was handed down. 

A Six Nations statement read: "The Scotland No3, Zander Fagerson, has exercised his right to appeal the decision of the Six Nations disciplinary committee of February 16 to suspend him for four weeks for an infringement of law 9.20(a). The appeal hearing will take place by video conference this afternoon [Tuesday]."

Scotland tighthead Fagerson became the second red-carded player in 2021 championship to be given a ban, the forward’s four-match suspension ruling him out of the remainder of his country’s campaign plus one club match with Glasgow Warriors.

Fagerson was sent off in the second half of the February 13 Murrayfield defeat to Wales and he is set to miss Scotland’s matches versus France this Sunday, Ireland and Italy along with one further fixture that is still to be determined. 

His costly suspension followed the ban handed down to Ireland’s Peter O’Mahony for his red card the previous week versus the Welsh, the Irish flanker getting ruled out of three of his country’s matches. 

This difference of a week in the suspensions for O'Mahony and Fagerson sparked an online debate, ex-Irish flanker Stephen Ferris saying on Twitter that “this is all wrong” after Fagerson was handed a four-match ban for what he described as a “mistimed clean out” on Wales’ Wyn Jones, while O’Mahony was given a three-match ban for “an elbow to the face” of Tomas Francis.

Retired Scotland captain Barclay echoed the sentiments of Ferris, also saying on Twitter that his compatriot Fagerson was “attempting to clear a jackler”.

A Six Nations statement announcing the Fagerson ban read: “The committee found that the act of foul play warranted a mid-range entry point (six weeks) and reduced that by two weeks to take account of mitigating factors (including his admission of foul play, good disciplinary record and remorse).

“Fagerson is therefore suspended for four weeks. Given his playing schedule, he will miss the three Scotland matches in the Six Nations against France, Ireland and Italy, and one further match to be determined. He was reminded of his right of appeal.”