Saints prop suspended over ref shove
Tuesday, 3 November 2009 08:24Northampton prop Brian Mujati has received a six-week ban for pushing referee Nigel Owens in the back during a Heineken Cup game.
The South African forward was cited after the incident, which happened when Saints lost to Perpignan in France last month.
Mujati is suspended until December 2, ruling him out of Northampton's opening two LV= Cup games against the Ospreys and Saracens, plus Guinness Premiership appointments with Harlequins and Newcastle.
Independent judicial officer Rod McKenzie decided Mujati was guilty of an act contrary to good sportsmanship, although he also determined it was low-end in terms of its seriousness for an offence of physical abuse of a match official.
McKenzie accepted there were 'compelling and exceptional mitigating factors' in that Mujati was suffering from concussion when the offence occurred.
And the judicial officer made a 75% reduction from the recommended entry point - a 24-week suspension - for a low-end physical abuse of a match official offence.
