Taine Basham: Dragons flanker suspended for four matches after Leinster red card
- Published
Dragons flanker Taine Basham has played 16 international for Wales
Dragons and Wales flanker Taine Basham has been banned for four games following his red card in the United Rugby Championship (URC) defeat by Leinster.
The 24-year-old was sent off at Rodney Parade for a dangerous tackle on Ireland fly-half Ross Byrne.
Basham will miss the league derby against Ospreys and two matches in South Africa against Sharks and Lions.
He will also be absent for the opening European game against Oyonnax.
Basham will be free to play in the Challenge Cup trip to face Pau on 16 December.
The back rower accepted he had committed an act of foul play with an initial six-week ban reduced by two weeks for his "remorse, apology and engagement in the disciplinary process".
Speaking after the Leinster defeat, Dragons head coach Dai Flanagan criticised Basham's petulance.
"It was very silly from Taine. He wants to be a top-end player, but that wasn't good enough and top-end players don't do things like that," said Flanagan.
"Emotion and anger gets the better of people but it's hard to defend him after an action like that.
"We know that he's better than that and we have to help him through this."
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