Fekitoa Receives One-Match Ban

Wasps and All Black centre Malakai Fekitoa has been handed a one match suspension after contravening Law 9.27.

The 100kg bruiser has been shown three yellow cards this season, the last one occurring in Round 14 when Wasps despatched Northampton Saints 34-21.

The card came after a thumping hit on opposing centre Fraser Dingwall which referee Karl Dickson judged to be high.

Dingwall certainly felt the wrath of Fekitoa’s shoulder in that game, having soaked up a brutal but legal hit minutes before Dickson reached for his pocket.

Wasps head coach Lee Blackett said:

"I thought his first tackle galvanised us. You saw everyone lift. Someone like that has a big influence on everyone.

"Obviously we're not going to encourage anyone tackling high, if he could just lower it by a finger's width, he would've been alright at the weekend. The right arm came up at the last minute, it wasn't a million miles away.

"Malakai probably gives us something we've not had in our back line in recent years, he gives us that big physical edge," he said. "We don't want to tweak him too much. We need that, that's the best thing for the team. We need all of our players on the field. I don't see him being overly dirty, he just got that one slightly wrong."

Fekitoa is thus unavailable for this weekend’s Round 15 clash with Worcester Warriors.