Ugalde banned until 2017 for horrific eye gouge
Three Brive players were banned on Friday (AEST) for their roles in an ugly defeat to Grenoble in Top 14, Matthieu Ugalde suspended until 2017.
Brive fly-half Matthieu Ugalde has been slapped with a 13-week ban for an eye gouge during a brawl in his side's ill-tempered defeat to Grenoble earlier this month.
Ugalde blatantly raked the eyes of Grenoble wing Armand Batlle as players came to blows in a 36-23 defeat for Brive two weeks ago, their only defeat of the season in Top 14 thus far.
The 24 year-old can appeal the sanction, but any reprieve appears unlikely and he will be missing until 2 January next year as a result.
Team-mates Damien Jourdain and Benjamin Lapeyre have been given three-week bans for their part in ugly scenes in the match, which saw three red cards produced after a brawl early in the second half.
France international Jules Plisson was also given a three-week suspension by the disciplinary committee as punishment for a shoulder charge in Stade Francais' 29-25 win at home to Castres.