'Heavy price' for Azam

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The Gloucester hooker was successful in convincing the Rugby Football Union appeals panel that his offence warranted only the mid-range sanction of an eight-week ban.

But the three-man committee then increased Azam's suspension back to 12 weeks after taking his recent record into account.

The former France international had only just returned from a nine-week ban for eye-gouging when he clashed with Borthwick in Gloucester's Guinness Premiership defeat at Saracens on September 27.

Rob Burgess, Gloucester's head of rugby operations who represented Azam at both hearings, said: "We are disappointed that the length of the ban remains at 12 weeks, which is a significant absence for an offence where there was no deliberate intent to cause injury."

"Olivier will now miss three months of rugby at a critical time of the season, which is damaging for both him and the club.

"He is paying a heavy price for having so recently come off his only other relevant ban in nearly 200 games over nine seasons for Gloucester."

Burgess was satisfied that Gloucester had been able to convince the RFU appeals panel that Azam did not warrant a top-end sanction because he had never intended to kick Borthwick in the face.

"I'm pleased in that respect, because we felt Olivier's reputation would have been unfairly tarnished had that distinction not been made," Burgess added.

Meanwhile, Munster prop John Hayes had a six-week suspension reduced to five weeks by an Irish Rugby Football Union appeals committee. Hayes was originally banned until November 14 for stamping on Leinster prop Cian Healy in Munster's 30-0 Magners League defeat on October 3.