Nemani Nadolo has copped a suspension following last month's red card for dangerous play

Nemani Nadolo is out of action until early May after being banned in France for dangerous play in a recent Top 14 match.

The former Fijian winger was red carded for an incident in the March match for Montpellier against Pau and he appeared before a French rugby disciplinary hearing this week to learn his fate. 

The heading decided that Nadolo was responsible for dangerous play - a tackle on Steffon Armitage - and determined that the incident merited an entry-point suspension of six weeks. 

After taking into consideration the aggravating factor of Nadolo’s disciplinary record, the sanction was increased by one week. 

Then after considering the extenuating circumstances - namely the winger’s recognition of guilt, conduct before and during the hearing and his expression of remorse - the sanction was reduced by three weeks.

Given the schedule of matches to be played by Montpellier, Nadolo will be free to play again on May 6 after missing the upcoming games against Agen, Racing 92, Grenoble and Castres.

With six rounds of fixtures left to play, Montpellier are currently ninth in the Top 14, six points shy of sixth place Bordeaux who occupy the final play-off spot.  

Nadolo had announced earlier this year that he won’t be gracing the World Cup finals in Japan with his presence. Aged just 31, he recently decided to retire from international rugby after making just 30 appearances since a June 2010 debut.

“I've been thinking about this decision for 12 months. I called the club two days before making it public. Everyone was surprised, shocked. He [Vern Cotter] was looking for a joker to replace me during the World Cup.

“When I played last June, I had a thought: if you wake up one day and you hesitate about your job, it is the moment to stop. This is what happened to me with the Fijian team, whereas I feel that I still have a lot to give in Montpellier.”