Blow to Ireland ahead of Six Nations as experienced forward hit with huge ban
Ulster will also be without the player for crucial games as he faces the consequences of his red card against Munster before Christmas in the URC interpro clash in Belfast
Tom O'Toole will miss Ireland's first two Six Nations games against England and Scotland - plus Ulster's final two Champions Cup games - due to a ban.
URC disciplinary chiefs have slapped a six-game suspension on the tighthead after he was red carded in Ulster's home defeat to Munster on December 20.
O'Toole was dismissed in the 31st minute at the Kingspan Stadium after referee Ben Whitehouse ruled that he had dropped his weight onto Alex Nankivell’s exposed leg at a ruck under Law 9.20e. Nankivell had to come off soon after with an injured hamstring tendon.
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Ulster boss Richie Murphy later argued that the decision was "tough" on O'Toole, but a URC disciplinary committee disagreed and O'Toole conceded to the committee that he had committed an act of foul play that warranted the red card.
The judicial officer, Sheriff Kathrine Mackie, found that the incident met the red card threshold. The entry point of top end is 10 weeks but O'Toole received four weeks mitigation for his admission of foul play, his immediate apology and a further apology that he made after the game.
However because O'Toole was also red-carded for foul play against Toulouse in 2022, that was as far as the mitigation went in the case this time.
He already served the first of the six-game ban against Connacht on December 28 but will miss the trip to Leicester on Saturday and the home tie against Exeter Chiefs the following Friday in the Champions Cup, followed by the home URC fixture against Zebre on January 26.
O'Toole will then sit out Ireland's first two Six Nations games, with the URC stating that they received confirmation from Ireland's interim head coach Simon Easterby that the 26-year-old has been a constant member of the Test squad since 2021.
"Barring injury or suspension he would be included in the 2025 Guinness Six Nations squad with a very good chance of being named in the match day squad," added the URC in a statement. "In these circumstances it is appropriate that Ireland's first two matches are included."
His loss is a blow to Easterby as O'Toole, who has been capped 16 times, came off the bench against New Zealand, Fiji and Australia in the November series due to the unavailability of the injured Tadhg Furlong.
Ireland face England in their Six Nations opener at the Aviva Stadium on February 1 before taking on Scotland at Murrayfield on February 8 and it is hoped that Furlong will be back to full match fitness by then with Leinster, with Finlay Bealham providing back-up.
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