Small comfort for Dupuy as 24-week ban is cut by a week

STADE Français scrum-half Julien Dupuy has seen his 24-week ban for eye gouging reduced by one week by an independent appeal committee.

The France international had been handed the original ban for gouging Ulster flanker Stephen Ferris during Stade's 23-13 Heineken Cup defeat at Ravenhill on 12 December.

The suspension was condemned at the time by Stade president Max Guazzini, who described it as "excessive, very political and anti-French", and Dupuy chose to launch an appeal. But while the committee did opt to reduce the sanction it is unlikely to prove much comfort to the six-time capped half-back .

The 26-year-old, who joined Stade from Leicester in the summer of 2009, will still miss France's entire RBS Six Nations campaign despite the reduction.

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