Flannery to fight Six Nations ban

Flannery has been punished for violent conduct

Ireland hooker Jerry Flannery has lodged an appeal against the suspension that has ruled him out of the entire RBS Six Nations championship.

Flannery was handed an eight-week ban for stamping on Julien Bonnaire during Munster's Heineken Cup defeat by Clermont Auvergne on 13 January.

Flannery looked set to start the Six Nations as Ireland's first-choice hooker before last week's tribunal.

An independent committee will meet in Dublin on Wednesday to hear the appeal.

The appeal will be chaired by professor Lorne Crerar (Scotland), with HHJ Jeff Blackett (England) and Russell Howell (Wales) also on the committee.

The 29-year-old was stunned by the length of the suspension, with the disciplinary panel deciding the offence was at the top end of the scale.

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As it stands, the ban means he cannot play again until after Ireland's final Six Nations game against England at Twickenham on 15 March.

However, he will be available for Munster's Heineken Cup quarter-final against Guinness Premiership leaders Gloucester at Kingsholm on 5 April.

Ulster's Rory Best has been handed the number two jersey for Ireland's Six Nations opener against Italy on Saturday with Bernard Jackman of Leinster named on the bench.