Rizzo leaving under a cloud at Edinburgh
PROP Michele Rizzo’s spell with Edinburgh came to a premature end last night when he was banned for four weeks.
The Italian Test star, whose loan from Leicester ends in a fortnight, was red carded during Saturday’s Pro14 defeat by the Scarlets.
And Rizzo has now been found guilty of reckless conduct by charging shoulder first into a rival who was on the ground at the break-up of a ruck.
Munster’s Fineen Wycherley also copped a three-week ban for committing an almost identical offence in their loss to Glasgow Warriors at Scotstoun 24 hours earlier.
Rizzo will sit out the Pro 14 showdown with Leinster in Dublin tomorrow.
And Jack McGrath has warned the Gunners the Irish Lions are champing at the bit to get their claws into Edinburgh. After an extended rest period the frontline stars have been recalled for this clash.
It means Johnny Sexton, Sean O’Brien, Tadhg Furlong and Robbie Henshaw will join McGrath in the Leinster squad.
And the scrum-half said: “All the Lions guys are hugely excited to be back.
“We have some massive matches coming up in the Champions Cup as well as the league. But we won’t be overlooking the threat of Edinburgh.”
The Gunners started the campaign off in style with wins over Cardiff Blues and the Dragons.
All that good work was undone by losses to Treviso and Scarlets but Nathan Fowles is sure they can roar back in Dublin.
The scrum-half said: “We’re not just here to make up the numbers. We’re all competitive people.”