Leicester's England prop Julian White will miss the Heineken Cup quarter-final against Bath at the Walker's Stadium on Saturday after receiving a two-week ban for punching his international colleague Andrew Sheridan during last weekend's Premiership victory over Sale.
The 35-year-old received the sixth red card of his career, but his poor record was not held against him by the disciplinary committee which considered his case in London. White will also sit out Leicester's Premiership match at one of his former clubs, Saracens, on 19 April but he will be available to face another of his previous employers, Bristol, on the final weekend of the regular season.
Sheridan has not been cited for his part in the fracas with White, which started when a scrum broke up after the referee's whistle and the Leicester prop grabbed his opposite number's leg. Sheridan shoved White away and appeared to strike out before being floored by a right hook.
Sheridan was booed for the rest of his time on the field and had an exchange of views with a fan when he was replaced midway through the second-half.
"The referee did not have much option but to send off Julian White," said the Sale director of rugby, Kingsley Jones. "Andrew did not do much to get booed but that is all part of the day out at Welford Road."
Bath will have their South Africa outside-half, Butch James, in their line-up against Leicester after a disciplinary committee threw out a citing that the 30-year old had stamped on Riki Flutey during last week's Premiership victory over Wasps. James has been instrumental in Bath's push for silverware on two fronts this season. Whereas Leicester have the Italy prop Martin Castrogiovanni to cover for White, Bath have no one who could adequately replace the South African.
Cardiff Blues expect to have the current Wales back-rowers Martyn Williams and Andy Powell fit for Saturday's Heineken Cup quarter-final against Toulouse at the Millennium Stadium. They have missed the region's last two matches after picking up leg injuries on international duty but they played a full part in training today, along with the former Wales captain and Toulouse wing Gareth Thomas.
"We should have a full squad to pick from," said the Blues' head coach, David Young, whose team are facing Toulouse in the last eight for the second successive season after losing heavily in France last year.
"We are a much better team than we were 12 months ago. We have matured and have more self-belief, confidence and determination. I think we settled for making the quarter-finals last time, but we are getting used to being on the big stage and our sights are now set higher."
The Ospreys hope the Wales full-back Lee Byrne will be fit for Sunday's quarter-final against Munster at Thomond Park. He has not played since hobbling off with a foot injury 35 minutes into Wales's final match of the Six Nations last month, against Ireland.
