Gloucester lock Tom Savage will miss the Cherries’ Heineken Champions Cup clash with Munster on Friday, 11 January after picking up a two-week suspension.
Savage was given the punishment after being cited following last Saturday's Gallagher Premiership game against Sale Sharks.
The second-rower was reported by match citing officer Paul Hull for dangerous play in a ruck, where he was seen to make contact with Sale player Robert Du Preez's head.
England’s Rugby Football Union said that Savage accepted the charge and received a two-week suspension when he appeared at an independent disciplinary hearing.
He can play again on 15 January, ruling him out of Gloucester's Premiership trip to Leicester on Saturday and the meeting with Munster at Kingsholm.
"It was accepted that the player had attempted to make a legitimate clear-out at the ruck," said Gareth Graham, who sat as sole judicial officer.
"The player's left arm was used to bind on to his opponent; his intention was to use his right arm to wrap Du Preez around the midriff.
"On the balance of probabilities, it was accepted that this was not a case of the player 'charging' into the ruck. As a result of the Sale player being tackled moments before by another Gloucester player, the point of contact was to his (the Sale player's) head.
"The player accepted that this was an act of foul play which passed the red card threshold.
"The mandatory entry point where there is dangerous play in a ruck, where contact has been made above the line of the shoulders and to the head, is mid-range, in this case four weeks.
"The player was entitled to maximum credit for his plea, good record and other mitigating factors, and is therefore suspended for a period of two weeks."
Gloucester are bottom of Pool 2, but only trail leaders Munster by four points so a win next week is vital for the English side’s hopes with the final round of games to follow a week later.
