Pretty lenient.

Toulon centre Mathieu Bastareaud was yesterday suspended for three weeks following an independent Disciplinary Hearing in London arising from his club’s Champions Cup, Round 5 match against Benetton Rugby at Stade Félix Mayol on Sunday.

Bastareaud was cited by the match Citing Commissioner, Dennis Jones, for verbally abusing the Benetton Rugby flanker, Sebastian Negri Da Oleggio, in the 80th minute of the match. A microphone blatantly picked up the Frenchman calling his opponent a “fu*kin f**got.”

As a result Bastareaud will no miss Toulon’s final Champions Cup game against Scarlets, as well as France’s Six Nations opener with Ireland next month. But many people are upset with the EPCR’s failure to make an example of Bastareaud, with the ban being too lenient.

Former Ireland, Leinster and Lions captain Brian O’Driscoll is on of them. Speaking on BT Sport’s Rugby Tonight last night, O’Driscoll said:

“I think it’s pretty lenient, three weeks, being brutally honest.”

“You want to stamp it out. I think he can consider himself quite lucky to only get three, even though he pleaded guilty.”