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France captain Dupont free to play after winning appeal
France captain Antoine Dupont is free to play for his club Toulouse in their Top 14 match this weekend after he won his appeal against a four-week suspension for his red card in the win over South Africa.
The 26-year-old scrum-half missed France's final Autumn Nations Series Test -- the 35-17 victory over Japan -- and Toulouse's 21-14 defeat to Lyon last Sunday.
However, the 2021 World Player of the Year -- instrumental in this year's Six Nations Grand Slam success -- still appealed and the independent committee upheld it, believing the original punishment was too heavy.
Dupont was sent off for a dangerous tackle on Cheslin Kolbe in the 30-26 win over the world champions on November 12.
"The Appeal Committee allowed his appeal and reduced his suspension from four weeks to two weeks," read the committee's statement.
"The Appeal Committee decided that Appendix 1 to World Rugby Regulation 17 does not mandate a minimum entry point of mid-range (eight weeks) for a breach of Law 9.17.
"The Appeal Committee concluded that his conduct merited a lower end entry point, and with an appropriate reduction for mitigation, imposed a sanction of two weeks."
In a separate case Springbok prop Thomas du Toit received a six-week ban reduced to three weeks for his red card -- for a high tackle on Luke Cowan-Dickie -- in last Saturday's 27-13 win over England.
His suspension will see him miss his side Sharks' first Champions Cup matches against English outfit Harlequins and Top 14 team Bordeaux-Begles in what is the first season South African franchises are to compete in the competition.
O. Joergensen--BTZ
