Mealamu appeal to be heard

Edinburgh - New Zealand hooker Keven Mealamu will discover if he is to miss the rest of the All Blacks 'grand slam' tour when his appeal against a four-week ban for headbutting England captain Lewis Moody is heard here on Friday.

VIDEO: Kevin Mealamu's headbutt on Lewis Moody

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Mealamu's fate will be decided a day before the All Blacks play Scotland at Murrayfield here on Saturday when an appeal panel chaired by South Africa's Peter Ingwersen, together with Robert Williams (Wales) and Jean Noel Couraud (France), considers his case.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding his position, Mealamu was bracketed with the uncapped Hikawera Elliot when coach Graham Henry named his side to play Scotland here on Thursday.

"We were always intending to play him and we hope we can," said Henry.

"He's a very important part of our team. He's a top man, he's got very high personal standards - he sees himself as a role model for young people.

"He's a bit destroyed about what's happened."

Henry added: "Once the appeal is over, hopefully we'll get a positive result and move on."

Mealamu escaped an eight-week ban at Tuesday's hearing because of his "exemplary disciplinary record" during an 82-Test international career.

But footage of the incident from Saturday's 26-16 victory over England appeared to leave little room for doubt.

The film shows Mealamu grabbing Moody by the collar and then diving forward to butt Moody on the back of the head.

If Mealamu's appeal fails he will miss the Scotland encounter as well as Tests against Ireland in Dublin on November 21 and Wales in Cardiff a week later.