La Rochelle boss Ronan O’Gara has been given a touchline ban for Sunday’s Investec Champions Cup opener against Leinster.
The former Ireland fly-half has been handed a one-match suspension by the French National League for ill discipline during last month’s Top 14 defeat by Racing 92.
It is O’Gara’s fifth suspension from the league since he took over as La Rochelle’s director of rugby in 2021, amounting to 21 weeks of punishment.
Meanwhile La Rochelle winger Teddy Thomas received a five-week ban for a dangerous tackle and will only be free to play again from 31 December.
Sunday’s match at Stade Marcel Deflandre will be a rerun of last season’s Champions Cup final, when the French side staged a stirring comeback to beat Leinster 27-26 after trailing 17-0 in the Dublin decider.
