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PARIS - England captain Phil Vickery will miss England's two most important rugby World Cup pool matches against South Africa and Samoa after he was banned on Wednesday (NZ time) for two games for tripping United States centre Paul Emerick last Saturday.
Vickery was cited after the incident, which went unoticed by the referee, in the first half of England's opening Pool A 28-10 victory.
He was accompanied by England's legal representative Richard Smith for the Paris hearing before World Cup-appointed judicial officer (JO) Lorne Crerar.
Vickery claimed that the trip had been accidental and Emerick also said he did not believe there had been any malice.
However, after a three-hour hearing World Cup officials issued a statement saying: "The JO deemed the trip was a deliberate act and was delivered with some force, causing the opposing player to be knocked over."
The JO took into account several mitigating circumstances including the immediate admission of culpability, the player's good character and his conduct during the hearing.
"The entry point for a mid range offence is four weeks. In light of the mitigating factors the JO imposed a sanction of two matches," the statement said.
The ban means Vickery will miss Saturday's match against South Africa at the Stade de France and the game against Samoa in Nantes on September 23.
England said they would consider lodging an appeal and have 48 hours to do so.
Earlier on Tuesday Vickery was named in the team for Friday's game but his place will now be taken by Matt Stevens, with Perry Freshwater joining the replacements.
Coach Brian Ashton said he had yet to decide who would take over the captaincy though the job will probably go to one of three former captains in the starting team - Jason Robinson, Martin Corry or Mike Catt.
Wednesday's decision is a further blow to Ashton who has been hit by a spate of illness and injury in the squad.
First five-eighth Jonny Wilkinson is still suffering with an ankle ligament strain and his replacement on Saturday, Olly Barkley, strained a hip flexor on Tuesday and is awaiting the results of a scan.
Backs Mathew Tait and Dan Hipkiss have both been in isolation since the weekend with illness.
Earlier on Tuesday Emerick was banned for five weeks, ending his World Cup, for a dangerous tackle on Barkley at the end of Saturday's game.
South Africa flanker Schalk Burger could also miss Saturday's game after being cited for a dangerous tackle in his side's win over Samoa on Sunday.
- REUTERS
