All Blacks prop Ethan de Groot has been handed a two-match suspension for his red card against Namibia after attending a World Rugby independent disciplinary committee hearing.
De Groot, 25, was shown a yellow card in the 72nd minute of the All Blacks' 71-3 victory in Toulouse after he hit Namibia replacement forward Adriaan Booyens with his shoulder.
After further review from the television match official, though, that yellow card was upgraded to red.
While the All Blacks argued the contact was shoulder on shoulder, as opposed to shoulder on head, the committee of Brenda Heather-Latu (Samoa), John Langford (Australia) and Jamie Corsi (Wales) ruled against de Groot.
The All Blacks and de Groot conceded an act of foul play had occurred but was not sufficient in meeting the threshold for a red card.
The loosehead prop will now miss the All Blacks' final two pool matches - against Italy on September 30 and Uruguay on October 6 - but will be free to play in the quarter-finals should New Zealand qualify and provided he undergoes World Rugby's coaching intervention programme.
De Groot and the All Blacks have a 48 hour window to appeal the decision.
