Ireland will not appeal the three-match ban that has ruled Bundee Aki out of the remainder of the Rugby World Cup, the IRFU has confirmed.
The Connacht centre was sent off during for a high tackle during Ireland's win over Samoa last Saturday and will miss this weekend's quarter-final against his native New Zealand and any potential semi-final or final as a result.
If Ireland are knocked out, Aki will miss two games for his province to fulfil the ban, which was reduced from the six-week entry point, having taken into account the player's good disciplinary record.
An IRFU statement said: "The Ireland management will not appeal the sanction handed down to Bundee.
"We are disappointed with the outcome and believe that Bundee's time will be best served helping prepare the squad for its remaining RWC19 fixtures."
The IRFU also confirmed that Ulster's Rob Herring had flown out to replace hooker Sean Cronin, saying: "Sean aggravated a pre-existing neck muscle complaint and has been ruled out of the remainder of RWC19."
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Follow Ireland v New Zealand on Saturday 19 October (kick-off 11.15am) via the live blog on RTÉ.ie/Sport and the News Now App, watch live on RTÉ2 or listen to live match commentary on RTÉ Radio 1.
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Follow all four Rugby World Cup quarter-finals this weekend via our live blogs on RTE.ie/Sport and the News Now app, or watch live on RTÉ2.
