Tom O'Toole out of start of Six Nations as red card results in ban

Ireland will be without tighthead prop Tom O’Toole for their Guinness Six Nations opener against England next month after he was handed a six-week ban following his red card against Munster on December 20.

The Ulster prop was shown a red card by referee Ben Whitehouse in the first half of their United Rugby Championship clash for a dangerous clearout of Alex Nankivell at a ruck. O’Toole targetted the left leg of the Munster centre, which subsequently forced him from the field with a hamstring tendon injury as Munster went on to win 22-19 in Belfast.

In a hearing this week, it was deemed that the 26-year-old’s actions warranted a red card, with the entry point being a 10-week ban. However, due to “his admission of foul play, immediate apology and again post-match,” the ban was reduced by four weeks, meaning he will miss Ireland’s opening two matches of the Six Nations against England in Dublin and Scotland in Edinburgh.

O’Toole featured in three of Ireland’s Autumn Nations Series matches, only missing the Argentina Test due to a head injury that occurred the week before against the All Blacks.

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The three appearances came from the bench, as he filled in for the injured Tadhg Furlong, who still remains out with a hamstring injury.

The URC statement added that there was a good chance that O’Toole would have featured for Ireland at the start of the Six Nations, according to interim head coach Simon Easterby, which is why their fixtures were added to the list of games he will be unavailable for.

On top of the international fixtures, O’Toole will also miss Ulster’s upcoming Investec Champions Cup matches against Leicester Tigers and Exeter Chiefs, as well as the URC meeting with Zebre Parma. Ulster’s recent victory over Connacht in Galway was included in his six-week ban.