2 November 2005
Bristol second row Mariano Sambucetti was found guilty on Tuesday evening of striking contrary to IRB Law 10(4)(a) following his sending off against Saracens in a GUINNESS A LEAGUE match on October 17th.

Mariano was given a three week ban for the offence, backdated to October 24th, at a Rugby Football Union disciplinary hearing on Tuesday evening.

 Bristol Rugby had already imposed their own two week ban having watched the match video. Mariano last played for Bristol in the European Shield fixture in Narbonne on October 22nd.

Unfortunately for Mariano, he had just been called up to the Argentina squad for their three forthcoming internationals but the ban will now rule him out of the first two against South Africa in Buenos Aires and Scotland in Edinburgh. Whether he will be required for the third game, in Genoa against Italy, is the  decision of the Pumas management.