Crusaders prop Owen Franks handed two week ban

Crusaders prop Owen Franks has been handed a two week suspension following his yellow card incident in the recently concluded Super Rugby Pacific game against Hurricanes.

The 36-year-old was cited after he received a yellow card in the closing stage of the recently concluded Super Rugby game for a dangerous tackle on Hurricanes loose forward Du’Plessis Kirifi.

A Super Rugby Foul Play Review Committee gave Franks a four-week suspension which was reduced to a fortnight taking into account his conduct during hearing, guilty plea and other mitigating factors.

Franks, who has played over 100 Tests for New Zealand will now miss the next two Super Rugby Pacific games against Blues and Chiefs.

Crusaders already have lost captain Scott Barrett to a broken finger and has been sidelined for six weeks while Will Jordan and Braydon Ennor will also miss the season due to shoulder and knee injuries respectively.

They now are languishing at the bottom of the Super Rugby Pacific table with four defeats from as many games.