No game for Collins

The Wellington Lions will be without flanker Jerry Collins when they face Waikato in the Air New Zealand National Provincial Championship (NPC) semi-final in Wellington on Friday.

The two week suspension imposed on Collins was upheld by the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) appeal council earlier on Friday.

Collins was given the suspension by an NZRU judicial committee following his red card for a dangerous tackle in the NPC Division One match played between Wellington and Southland at Invercargill last Saturday.

The Council held that the original sentence imposed by the judicial committee was not manifestly excessive or unjust or wrong in principle. Accordingly, the appeal was dismissed.

The appeal council agreed with the earlier decision that the tackle made by Collins was a dangerous tackle and warranted a two-week suspension.

The council was chaired by John Pringle, with Ron Don and Charlie Rhodes also on the council. The appeal council is an autonomous body whose members are elected by provincial unions.