O'Driscoll Suspended For Three Weeks

At a disciplinary hearing before an independent Six Nations disciplinary committee today, Ireland centre Brian O'Driscoll was suspended for three weeks having been cited for an alleged stamp on Italy's Simone Favaro in Rome last Saturday.

Brian O'Driscoll admitted that he had committed an act of foul play but denied that it warranted a red card.

The disciplinary committee, which was chaired by Robert Williams (Wales) and also included Mike Hamlin and John Doubleday (both England), upheld the citing complaint and determined that the offending warranted a red card.

In applying the sanction, the disciplinary committee considered that the stamp, contrary to law 10.4(b), was in the mid range of the IRB's sanctions for the type of offence.

After hearing from O'Driscoll and his representatives, the disciplinary committee allowed a reduction of two weeks of mitigation, particularly taking into account the player's exemplary previous playing and disciplinary record.

O'Driscoll is suspended until April 8 and has the right of appeal.

The three-week suspension rules him out of Leinster's next three matches, including the Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-final against London Wasps on Friday, April 5.

Speaking ahead of Ireland's final RBS 6 Nations match against Italy, hooker Rory Best said: "We took a lot of positives from the France game, we'll take those forward and build on them. We can potentially finish third in the Championship and we're looking to end the campaign with a good win in Rome."

Speaking ahead of Ireland's upcoming RBS 6 Nations encounter with France, prop Mike Ross said: "We were enormously frustrated after the Scottish game. We're playing at home (this Saturday), it's a big source of pride for us. We want to get back to winning ways. Even though the Championship is gone, it's our home patch and you want to win every time you pull on the green jersey."

Irish Rugby TV caught up with Jenny Murphy at the Ireland Women's Sevens training camp. We spoke to the centre about the pool draw for the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Moscow, the difference between Sevens training and regular training and we look forward to the game against France at Ashbourne RFC on Friday.

Speaking ahead of Ireland's upcoming RBS 6 Nations clash with France, hooker Rory Best said: "We still have two games left to play and we have to make sure we finish well. It's going to be a tough challenge against France. But we're back at home, it's a sell-out and we need to make sure we put away the chances we create more efficiently than we have done."