HARLEQUINS HAVE RELEASED a brief statement in response to Joe Marler’s 10-week ban following last weekend’s England-Wales Six Nations meeting. 

Marler was handed a 10-week suspension for grabbing Alun Wyn Jones’ genitals, after the case was heard in Dublin yesterday. He is subsequently suspended until 8 June.

And his club had its say on the result today. A statement reads:

“Harlequins notes the disciplinary decision regarding Joe Marler. Whilst not in any way condoning Joe’s actions last Saturday we are disappointed at the level of sanction applied, particularly when compared to other disciplinary decisions announced this week.

“The club will be making no further comment on the situation and is fully focused on this weekend’s Premiership Rugby Cup Final against Sale Sharks.”

(It goes ahead at AJ Bell Stadium, as planned.)

Yesterday, England prop Marler accepted that he had committed an act of foul play but did not accept that he had “grabbed, twisted or squeezed [Wyn Jones's] genitals,” nor that his actions warranted a red card.

Six Nations said in a statement: “The Disciplinary Committee found that the act of foul play warranted a low-end entry point (twelve weeks’ suspension) and reduced that by three weeks to take account of mitigating factors (including good character and remorse) but increased it by one week to take account of his most recent disciplinary record.

Elsewhere, Marler’s England team-mate Manu Tuilagi was given a four-week ban for leading with a shoulder to the head in a tackle on George North.

The incident was deemed to warrant a mid-range entry point which carries a minimum six-week suspension, but that was reduced to four weeks on account of his good conduct and remorse.

The citing against Courtney Lawes for his first-half tackle on Jones was dismissed. 

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