Australian lock Swain banned for six weeks

Australian forward Darcy Swain was banned on Thursday for six weeks after a Sanzaar judiciary found him guilty of a "highly reckless" act resulting in injury to New Zealand player Quinn Tupaea during last week's Rugby Championship test.

Swain received a yellow card for the incident in which he dived with force into Tupaea's knee during the first half of the All Blacks' 39-37 win in Melbourne on Thursday.

However, a citing official subsequently deemed the act warranted a red card and the judicial committee agreed, issuing lock Swain with a suspension that ends on 6 November.

Judicial Chair Andre Oosthuizen said the 25-year-old had contravened law 9.11 which states "players must not do anything that is reckless or dangerous to others".

Oosthuizen said the incident, which has resulted in a serious knee injury to midfield back Tupaea, merited a "mid-range" sanction of six weeks.

"Through the actions by the player such as position, control, and player movements they found the incident was not intentional, however, it was highly reckless," Oosthuizen said of the committee findings.

New Zealand coach Ian Foster said on Friday that Tupaea will be sidelined for at least three months due to a ruptured medial cruciate ligament in his left knee.

In July, Swain was shown a red card and suspended for two weeks following a head butt on England lock Jonny Hill during the first match of their series in Perth.

His latest ban means he will be unavailable for Australia's first two tests of their season-ending tour of Europe, against Scotland and France.

He would be eligible for the remaining tests against Italy, Ireland and Wales.