Glasgow's Adam Hastings punished for poor disciplinary record

France-bound fly-half Adam Hastings will sit out Glasgow Warriors’ next two games after picking up a two-match suspension.

The Scotland international will miss this Friday’s game at home to Cardiff and the trip to Ulster a week later after being banned for accumulating three yellow cards in the space of seven club games this year.

The 29-year-old is joining Montpellier at the end of the season, meaning he has a maximum of three games in Glasgow colours if they go all the way and reach the URC final on June 20.

Two of Hastings’ yellows were given to him for dangerous tackles – in the 26-21 win over Zebre in Parma in January (incident 1) and in the recent 48-12 defeat to the Stormers in Cape Town (incident 3).

The second of the two offences was for an act of retaliation in the 38-17 win at home to Leinster in March.

Hastings has been sanctioned for persisent offending, rather than ‘sustantive offences’, judicial offer Simon Thomas said in his report, which can be read in full below:

He said: “Incidents 1 and 3 were both acts of foul play involving dangerous tackles where the Player failed to lower his height/body angle in the tackle, made no real attempt to affect a wrap of his arms, resulting in his shoulder making significant contact with the head of an opponent. In both these incidents, World Rugby’s Head Contact Process was clearly engaged.

“Incident 2 was an act of foul play classified as Law 9.21 (retaliation). It occurred following a Glasgow try with the Player rubbing the head of an opponent and pushing him in what was unsportsmanlike conduct. This caused a reaction from the player who was pushed. The incident further developed into a very unpleasant melee involving a large number of players from both sides.

Approach to Sanction

“In a totting up cases the determination of sanction is a matter of discretion for the Judicial Officer and the Player falls to be sanctioned for persistent offending, rather than for the substantive offences. Therefore, the World Rugby sanctions table for foul play (found at Appendix 9 to the Rules) are not to be applied and a 2015 World Rugby memorandum issued by the then World Rugby Judicial Panel Chairman, Mr Tim Gresson, states that guideline sanctions of between one and three weeks is considered appropriate depending on the seriousness of the offending. This memorandum has not been withdrawn and is still in force.

Sanction in this Case

“Incidents 1 and 3 had similar features involving reckless contact between the Player’s shoulder and the head of an opponent where there was no attempt to lower body height and no attempt to wrap. These acts of foul play were in relatively short succession (about three months). Incident 3 could have reached the red card threshold for the reasons stated above.

“The second incident was unpleasant. It was an intentional act. It caused order to break down on the field of play and could have affected the remainder of the match.

“Taking all these matters into account, the Player’s disciplinary record, and the Player’s admission in that he did not seek to challenge any of the yellow cards, I consider his conduct was moderately serious. The two dangerous tackles had concerning similar features with no attempt to wrap with the arms. I determine the appropriate sanction is a suspension from the game of rugby union of two weeks which, based upon the Player’s playing schedule, incorporates the following matches:

• Glasgow Warriors v Cardiff Rugby, Friday May 8, URC
• Ulster Rugby v Glasgow Warriors, Friday May 15, URC