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London - Munster star Keith Earls will miss Ireland's Test against world champions New Zealand after being banned for two weeks for a dangerous tackle in last Saturday's European Champions Cup clash, a disciplinary hearing decided on Wednesday.
The 29-year-old utility back had been sent off in the 19th minute of the game - played the day after the funeral of Munster's head coach Anthony Foley who died of a heart related illness aged just 42 - for the tackle on Glasgow Warriors hooker Fraser Brown.
Ireland play the All Blacks in Chicago on November 5th - the first of two Tests they play against the world champions with the second one in Ireland on November 19th.
"In upholding the red card decision, the (disciplinary) committee found that the offence was at the low end of World Rugby's sanctions and selected four weeks as the appropriate entry point," read the statement from European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR).
"As there were no aggravating factors, the committee then reduced the sanction by a maximum of two weeks due to Earls' timely guilty plea, expression of remorse and clean disciplinary record, before imposing a suspension of two weeks.
"Earls will be free to play on Monday, November 7."
Munster - whom Foley captained to their first European Cup victory in 2006 - shrugged off Earls's early departure to win the match 38-17.
On a busy day for the disciplinary committee they handed out nine- and five-week bans to Zebre's Italian hooker Oliviero Fabiani and French side Brive's South African lock Johan Snyman respectively.
Fabiani, 26, pleaded guilty to biting Connacht's second row forward Quin Roux in the 52-7 hammering by the Irish province in their Champions Cup match and for which he was sent off.
South African Snyman, 30, received his punishment for a dangerous tackle on Worcester Warriors' Tom Heathcote in their European Challenge Cup game which the French team won 25-24.
