14-week ban for Jerome Fillol

Jerome Fillol has been handed a 14-week ban for spitting at Bath scrum-half Peter Stringer in last Saturday’s Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-final.
Stringer complained to Nigel Owens at the time but the Welsh referee replie he didn’t see it and therefore couldn’t act on it.
However, Fillol was cited on Monday and heard today in Dublin.
The Stade Francais scrum-half pleaded guilty to the offence and ERC Judicial Officer Anthony Davis hit him with a 26-week ban. This was then reduced to 14 weeks due to the “genuine remorse expressed by the player at the hearing, as well as his exemplary record and strong character references”.
Fillol has the right of appeal and is free to play again on August 12, 2013. The suspension takes into account the closed season and therefore covers a 10-week period from 6 April to 16 June and a further four weeks from 15 July to 11 August.a