Youngs Gets Three-Week Ban

Leicester will be without club captain Tom Youngs for the next three weeks after he was handed an RFU ban.

The hooker was sent off by Tom Foley in Saturday’s home defeat to Exeter after making contact with Ollie Atkins in a ruck.

It was adjudged that he had failed to make a sufficient effort to wrap his arms around Atkins and was handed his marching orders as the Tigers eventually went down 52-20.

After accepting a disciplinary charge, an independent panel decided to reduce the punishment from the standard six weeks due to the player’s past record, remorse and early guilty pleas.

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Leicester currently sit 10th in the Premiership standings, just five points clear of bottom club Newcastle and will be without their skipper for Friday’s match against the Falcons.

Youngs, who has 28 caps for England and also played for the British & Irish Lions in 2013, will also be unavailable for the visit of Bristol on April 27 and trip to Bath on May 3 due to his side not having a game on the third weekend of this month.