Peato Mauvaka handed three-week ban for ‘flying headbutt' on Ben White
However, the 28-year-old was promptly cited after France's 35-16 victory, which sealed the Six Nations title for Fabien Galthié's side, and has been found guilty of foul play contrary to law 9.12.
This dictates that a player 'must not physically or verbally abuse anyone. Physical abuse includes, but is not limited to, biting, punching, contact with the eye or eye area, striking with any part of the arm, shoulder, head or knee[s], stamping, trampling, tripping or kicking.'
The verdict of a three-person disciplinary panel, comprising Jennifer Donovan (Ireland) as well as two former men's internationals in John Langford of Australia and Leon Lloyd of England, infers that they believed Mauvaka to be deserving of a red card.
Mauvaka, whose six-week sanction was halved because of remorse and a clean record, will now miss three games for his club, Toulouse; their Top 14 clashes against Bordeaux-Bègles and Pau before a Champions Cup last-16 tie against Sale Sharks.
Fraser Brown, the former Scotland hooker, had been among those to condemn Mauvaka's actions on Saturday night. 'Ben White is laying on the floor and Peato Mauvaka dives at him,' Brown said. 'It's a flying headbutt straight to the face.
'That's a straight red card. The whistle has gone. It's direct head contact – I cannot agree with this process.'
Rory Darge, the Scotland captain, labelled it as 'an intentional headbutt', with head coach Gregor Townsend querying how the punishment was not upgraded.
'The decision not to raise it to a red card was because there was not excessive force,' he said. 'I'm not sure that's the criteria for a non-tackle incident. It shouldn't be anything to do with the force involved.
'I don't know how it wasn't raised to a red card. Whether it affected the final result, who knows? France deserved their victory and are deserved champions.'
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