France duo out of Women's Rugby World Cup semi-final as bans upheld / Photo: Glyn KIRK - AFP/File
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France duo out of Women's Rugby World Cup semi-final as bans upheld
France's Axelle Berthoumieu will miss the rest of the Women's Rugby World Cup after an appeal panel upheld a ban for biting during last weekend's quarter-final against Ireland.
French coach Gaelle Mignot then confirmed that fly half Lina Queyroi had not recovered from a concussion against Ireland and, like banned pair Berthoumieu and captain Manae Feleu, would miss the semi-final in Bristol against top seeds England.
Berthoumieu had appealed a 12-match ban for biting against Ireland and while the panel reduced her suspension to nine games she cannot play Saturday.
The 25-year-old will also miss the September 27 finals day at Twickenham, when France will either be involved in a third-place play-off or the final itself.
Feleu is out for the remainder of the tournament after losing her appeal against a three-match ban for a dangerous tackle, also during the 18-13 win over Ireland in Exeter.
Under the disciplinary process at the World Cup, there is now no further right of appeal for either player.
Berthoumieu was cited for biting Ireland's Aoife Wafer.
She accepted she had committed a red-card offence but appealed against the length of her ban.
France were losing 13-0 at Sandy Park at the time of the offence. A red card might have swung the game decisively in Ireland's favour.
Ireland captain Sam Monaghan said she raised the incident with the referee, but no action was taken at the time as, according to a World Rugby statement issued Monday, the television match official was "unable to determine clear and obvious foul play".
The appeal panel, working off a starting point of an 18-week suspension for biting, ruled that in light of Berthoumieu's admission of guilt, her clean disciplinary record and her remorse and public apology, she was entitled to full mitigation of 50 percent -- hence a nine-week ban.
The appeal panel said it "determined no grounds for change" in upholding the three-game ban imposed on Feleu.
This will be reduced to two if she completes a course at World Rugby's 'tackle school' but her World Cup is over.
Coach Mignot said three France players had suffered concussions against Ireland.
Mignot said that while prop Rose Bernadou and centre Gabrielle Vernier "are doing very well and are eligible to play this weekend".
"For Lina Queyroi, it's different," said Mignot. "She did not respond favourably to the protocol. It will take several more days," she said adding that Carla Arbez would start instead.
Meanwhile, the biting incident led to criticism of the failure to punish Berthoumieu during the game after replays of the incident were broadcast on the BBC and shared on social media.
Competition director Yvonne Nolan told a media briefing earlier Tuesday that the correct process had been followed, as she warned against jumping to conclusions unless the evidence was categorical.
M.Kohnen--JdB
