Tri Nations rugby: All Blacks mainstay Ofa Tuungafasi suspended for three weeks

All Blacks mainstay Ofa Tuungafasi has been suspended for three weeks following his red card in last weekend’s loss to Australia in Brisbane.

A Sanzaar court hearing found Tuungafasi guilty of breaking Law 9.13, which states that “a player must not tackle an opponent early, late or dangerously”, after Tuungafasi made high contact with Wallabies winger Tom Wright in the first half of the Bledisloe Cup final on Saturday. .

He will miss the last two Tri Nations games for the All Blacks against Argentina and a preseason game for the Blues.

The judicial committee deemed the Tuungafasi high tackle worthy of a mid-range entry point from a six-week ban, as the act was considered foul play involving head contact.

However, Tuungafasi’s early guilty plea and clean court record saw his ban reduced by 50 percent.

The pillar was one of the two players sent off in the test, along with Lachlan Swinton. The Wallabies’ loose forward was suspended for one more week due to two previous offenses on his record.

Scott Barrett and Marika Koroibete also spent time in the trash can during the contest.

Tuungafasi’s suspension ends prior to the Blues’ Aotearoa Super Rugby opener against Hurricanes on February 27.