Bergamasco banned for 13 weeks

Italy flanker Mauro Bergamasco will play no further part in this year's Six Nations after being suspended for 13 weeks.

Bergamasco was found guilty by the independent citing commissioner of deliberately placing his finger in the eye of Wales fullback Lee Byrne during Italy's 47-8 defeat in Cardiff on Saturday.

His suspension begins on Monday.    

"The three-man Disciplinary Committee considered the offence to merit an entry point in the mid-range of sanctions laid down in the IRB Reg. 17 and took into account the player's admission of guilt and other mitigating factors," a Six Nations statement said.    

Bergamasco will be free to resume playing on June 2nd.

His Italy team mate Carlo Del Fava, a lock, was cleared at a later hearing after being cited for catching Wales outhalf Stephen Jones in the head with his knee.    

The committee said in a statement it was not satisfied, on the balance of probabilities, that the player had committed a foul.    

On Tuesday, the cited pair were left out of Italy's squad for their next Six Nations championship match against France in Paris on March 9th, though Del Fava may now be called up to the squad.  

© 2008 The Irish Times