Second row Paul Willemse will miss France’s Six Nations matches against Scotland and Italy as a result of his red card in the defeat against Ireland.
He was shown red after a bunker review for a high tackle on Caelan Doris, having earlier been given a yellow for a high hit on Andrew Porter.
A panel found the 31-year-old guilty of two acts of foul play and decided they merited four and three-week bans.
But it deemed it “disproportionate” for the bans to run consecutively.
Willemse has therefore been banned for four weeks, which can be reduced to three if he completes ‘tackle school’.
Because the ban covers club and international matches, Montpellier’s trip to Racing 92 during the Six Nations’ fallow week leaves him free to play Wales on 10 March.
Scotland, who won their Six Nations opener against Wales, host France at Murrayfield on Saturday.
