The Gloucester lock Ed Pearce was last night banned for three weeks after admitting stamping on an opponent during last month's Zurich Premiership match against Wasps in Wycombe.

Pearce, who did not play for the league leaders at London Irish on Sunday, will miss Gloucester's next three Premiership matches, starting with the visit to the champions Leicester on Friday.

He was summoned to appear before a three-man disciplinary panel chaired by Jeff Blackett in London yesterday after being charged by Twickenham's citing officer, who saw the match in Wycombe. He pleaded guilty and received a ban at the lower end of the scale recommended for the offence - he could have been given eight weeks - because his stamp was not directed at a player's head.

"We will accept the suspension and not launch an appeal," said Gloucester's director of rugby Nigel Melville, who last week criticised the citing system after Pearce was charged 11 days after the match against Wasps.

Saracens face being without their Wales international centre Tom Shanklin for league and Parker Pen Challenge Cup matches next month after he damaged ankle ligaments in the opening minutes of the international against Fiji last Saturday. Dafydd James has been called into the Wales squad for Saturday's Test against Canada in Cardiff.

The former Bath prop David Hilton was promoted to the Scotland squad yesterday for the game with South Africa at Murrayfield after Mattie Stewart withdrew with a rib injury.

Hilton's last international appearance was at the beginning of 2000 before he was snared in the Grannygate scandal. He has since qualified through residency.

Two of the South Africa squad are returning home because of injuries they sustained during the defeat by France in Marseille - the centre Jean de Villiers, who left the field with knee ligament damage before he had touched the ball, and the prop Willie Meyer, who strained his neck.

New Zealand, who face France in Paris on Saturday before taking on Wales the following week, will be without the fly-half Carlos Spencer, who injured his shoulder in the defeat by England and has been ruled out of the rest of the tour. The All Blacks will also be without the centre Keith Lowen, who injured his groin. Paul Steinmetz has been called in.

Ireland are resting eight players, including the centre Brian O'Driscoll, for this weekend's Test against Fiji in Dublin.