Leicester Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill says the 32-week ban imposed on Northamptons Calum Clark for breaking Rob Hawkins elbow is fair and it's time to move on.
Clark pleaded guilty at a Rugby Football Union hearing to a charge of hyperextending Hawkins arm within the LV= Cup final against Tigers on 18 March.
"Whats happened has happened," Cockerill told BBC Radio Leicester.
"Its been treated in a wise manner and we draw a line under it."
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Clarks ban is dated from 22 March-1 November and the flanker also needed to pay hearing costs of £500.
Hooker Hawkins, who signed a brand new contract at Welford Road last month, may be out for 3 months.
Cockerill was furious following the incident, describing Clarks actions as "completely out of order"
But he said the problem is now closed.
"Hopefully Rob will make a whole recovery and can be back playing once possible," Cockerill added.
"Calum Clark will serve his sentence and are available back into the sport. Hes an awesome young player, hes made a mistake and he must learn from it. Hopefully the sport, him and Hawkins all get through it and hopefully these items dont happen again.
"If you happen to read the written statement it was actually 64 weeks and the mitigation and good record and everything halved that sentence.
Calum Clark factfile
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- Age: 22
- Position: Flanker
- Club: Northampton Saints
- Capped by England at U16, U18 and U20 level
- Joined Northampton from Leeds in 2010
- Voted the Saints Young Player of the Season for the 2010-11 campaign
- Selected as a part of the 2012 England Elite squad
"Try to be careful in the way you sentence people and choose Jeff Blackett is an experienced person and also you trust his judgement. He knows the sport and hes made a decision and its probably the fitting call.
"Now all of us get our heads down and get on with playing rugby again.
"Everybody saw what happened that day will not be component of the sport, them, us and the broader rugby public."
Third-place Tigers and fourth-place Saints are both pushing for a house fixture within the Premiership play-off semi-finals next month with just three rounds of the regular season remaining.
And the nice East Midlands rivals face each in a very important match on Saturday, 14 April but Cockerill isn't worried the clash should be to any extent further spicy than normal.
"The clubs are fantastic rivals. They're a great club, who we now have a big amount of respect for and vice versa.
"All of us get a little heated and emotional about our team and rightly so but if it involves it all of us want whats best for the sport.
"Once we meet in more than one weeks it is going to be heated and a frantic, hard battle but lets hope its a decent one and we will all get on with playing good rugby."
From WhatNewsToday.net
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