Ireland star Bundee Aki dropped from Six Nations opener

By Chris Collyer

Connacht and Ireland centre Bundee Aki has been dropped from the Ireland Six Nations squad to face France on Thursday next week.

Last Saturday night, Aki, 35, engaged in several altercations with match officials during Connacht’s 23-34 loss to title holders Leinster, as the hosts opened the newly upgraded Dexcom Stadium with a defeat.

Aki qualified to play for Ireland in 2017 after completing a three-year residency, making him eligible for selection and has been a stalwart and reliable centre ever since.

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Reaction

The shock omission comes at a time when many agree Ireland’s discipline has slowly slipped, and if they hope to win the Six Nations once again, they must scrutinise this key area immediately.

In a statement, the IRFU said: “The IRFU does not tolerate any form of disrespect shown towards match officials and does not condone actions that fall below the standards expected of players representing Irish rugby.”

Investigation

The IRFU led an internal investigation into the matter and subsequently handed Aki a four-game ban, which includes Ireland’s first three Six Nations matches.

An independent disciplinary committee handed Aki a six-week suspension, two of which were suspended, after finding he had engaged with match officials multiple times following the game.

He will now miss Connacht’s URC clash with Zebre this weekend as well.

Ulster‘s uncapped centre Jude Postlethwaite has replaced Aki in the squad. He has not yet made a statement.

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