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Bath fly-half Freddie Burns banned for three weeks following red card

Bath fly-half Freddie Burns
Image: Freddie Burns will miss the first two rounds of Bath's Champions Cup campaign

Bath fly-half Freddie Burns has been given a three-week suspension following his red card on Saturday for a dangerous tackle on Worcester's Josh Adams.

The 27-year-old was sent off on his first Bath start after upending Adams with a tip-tackle in the 63rd minute of the Aviva Premiership contest at the Recreation Ground, which the hosts won 29-13 on Saturday.

Burns appeared before a Rugby Football Union disciplinary panel on Tuesday evening.

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And in a subsequent statement from the RFU, the panel's chairman Gareth Graham said: "The panel heard evidence from the player as to the tackle and concluded that this was a reckless tackle that had, by the player's own admission, 'gone wrong' as opposed to an intentional act of foul play.

"Given that there was no injury to the Worcester player, the panel found it was a low-end entry point.

"The player accepted the charge in full, apologised immediately on-field and to the Worcester player post-match and has a clear disciplinary record.

Freddie Burns of Bath is shown a red card during the Aviva Premiership match between Bath Rugby and Worcester Warriors
Image: Burns was sent off for a dangerous tackle on Worcester's Josh Adams

"Therefore the panel gave full mitigation reducing the sanction to three weeks."

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Burns will be available to play again from October 31.

Live European Rugby Champions Cup

Bath face Benetton Treviso in their Champions Cup opener on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Arena from 5.25pm.

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