Dagg tackler gets five week ban

Brumbies winger Chance Peni has been suspended for five weeks for the nasty tackle that injured All Black Israel Dagg in the Crusaders’ 21-8 victory in Canberra on Saturday.

Sanzaar’s foul play review committee accepted a guilty plea from Peni, who was deemed to have contravened law 9.13 that states a player must not tackle an opponent dangerously.

Dagg, 29, was making just his second Super Rugby appearance for the Crusaders this season after returning from a long-term knee injury the previous week against the Sunwolves.

Peni clobbered Dagg in the 20th minute of the match and the veteran outside back suffered concussion and an injury to his right knee when he fell awkwardly after getting whacked around the head in an ugly tackle.

Referee Jaco Peyper awarded Peni a yellow card but he was later cited by Sanzaar, who deemed the incident had met the red card threshold for foul play.

Sanzaar announced on Tuesday that Peni would be suspended from all forms of rugby for five weeks, up to and including June 17.

"With respect to sanction the foul play review committee deemed the act of foul play merited a mid range entry point of six weeks," committee chairman Nigel Hampton QC said in a statement.

"The player has received two previous periods of suspension for similar incidents in the preceding 12 months, and the foul play review committee added a further week to the sanction for that aggravating factor.

"However, taking into account mitigating factors including the player’s remorse shown on field and his pleading guilty at the first available opportunity, the foul play review committee reduced the suspension to five weeks."

Peni immediately tried to speak to Dagg after he felled him at GIO Stadium and later contacted him on social media.