Wallabies lock Darcy Swain has been handed a six-week suspension, after a tackle that ended All Blacks midfielder Quinn Tupaea's season.
In New Zealand's 39-37 victory at Melbourne's Marvel Stadium last Thursday, Tupaea was taken from the field by doctors, after his planted leg was taken out by Swain in a tackle that was fortunate - for Australia - to only result in a yellow card.
The 25-year-old was cited for the tackle, while Tupaea has been ruled out for the rest of 2022 after suffering a ruptured medial collateral ligament, and partial tear to his anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
And at a Sanzaar judicial hearing on Wednesday night, Swain was found to have been guilty of contravening law 9.11, "players must not do anything that is reckless or dangerous to others."
"With respect to sanction the Judicial Committee deemed the act of foul play merited a mid-range entry point of six weeks," said judicial committee chair, Andre Oosthuizen SC.
"Through the actions by the player such as position, control, and player movements they found the incident was not intentional, however, it was highly reckless."
Swain's past record at the judiciary did him no favours, after being given a red card and two-week suspension earlier this year for a headbutt on England's Jonny Hill in Perth.
The suspension will see Swain miss three Wallabies fixtures, including this weekend's second Bledisloe Cup test, as well as matches against Scotland and France on Australia's tour of the Northern Hemisphere.
Sanzaar's suspension will come to an end on November 6, freeing Swain to face Italy, Ireland and Wales to end the year.
