KEY POINTS:
Danny Grewcock's World Cup hopes and, indeed, his England career hang in the balance after he was banned for six weeks from the start of next season.
The lock was found guilty by a European Rugby Cup disciplinary panel of punching the Clermont Auvergne second row Thibault Privat during Bath's European Challenge Cup final defeat at Twickenham Stoop last month.
The ban, which arose after Grewcock, 34, was cited for the offence, runs from 4 August to 15 September, and it means not only will he miss England's World Cup warm-up matches, against Wales (4 August) and France (18 and 25 August, home and away), but crucially he will also be under suspension when the red rose team begin their defence of the trophy.
England play the United States on 8 September, then face easily the biggest match of the pool stages against South Africa on 14 September.
Grewcock, who has 69 caps, will not be free to play until 16 September.
The England head coach, Brian Ashton, has to name his 30-man squad for the tournament by 14 August and his choices are stark.
He can leave out Grewcock completely, which could spell the end of the player's international career since he will be 35 by the time the 2008 Six Nations begins.
But Ashton could take a gamble and include him in the squad in the hope that a rested Grewcock, who would have avoided a battering against the Boks, could hit the ground running after four months without a game in time for the remaining pool matches, two physical encounters against Samoa and Tonga on 22 and 28 September.
Last night Ashton, who is due to name a 40-man squad on Friday for England's training camp in Portugal next month, said: "I have not spoken to Danny yet, but I will be speaking to him, hopefully in the next 24 hours. I have no idea how this will affect my thinking on the World Cup selection."
Grewcock has 72 hours in which to appeal.
Toulouse's former Ireland lock Trevor Brennan yesterday had a life ban from the game reduced to five years.
He was banned after being found guilty of misconduct when he entered the seating area during the Heineken Cup game against Ulster and punched an Irish supporter.
The ban runs from 1 June 2007 to 31 May 2012 and Brennan was also barred from participating in any ERC tournament in any capacity for the same period.
The hearing upheld an original fine of $66,000 and compensation of $13,000 to his victim, Patrick Bamford.
Brennan must also pay the costs of convening the hearing.
- INDEPENDENT
