Ryan set for a lengthy ban

The Bristol player-coach, Dean Ryan, is facing the prospect of a lengthy ban with the announcement that he is to appear before a disciplinary committee on 30 August after being sent off in a pre-season friendly against Caerphilly last week.

The Bristol player-coach, Dean Ryan, is facing the prospect of a lengthy ban with the announcement that he is to appear before a disciplinary committee on 30 August after being sent off in a pre-season friendly against Caerphilly last week.

The hearing which takes place in the Post House Hotel in Bristol, will also be considering two yellow cards picked up by Ryan last season.

The sending-off at Caerphilly came as a result of Ryan receiving two yellow cards, the first for punching, the second, which the player disputes, for alleged illegal use of the knee.

Another yellow card in a subsequent pre-season friendly against Newport will not be considered at the hearing because the player is still within the 14-day period in which he can appeal against it.

Depending on what the panel decides, Ryan is almost certain to miss Bristol's match against Wasps, possibly Sale and maybe even London Irish.

Meanwhile, another Bristol player, Garath Archer, is definitely out of the season's opener away to Rotherham on Sunday. Archer, widely tipped to be appointed captain of Bristol once he is playing again, has to serve an automatic one-match ban after a third yellow card in the fixture against Saracens -- the last match of the season.

Danny Grewcock was also shown the yellow card in that match and he, too, is out this weekend, missing the curtain-raiser at home to Gloucester on Sunday.

Since the England lock is reported to have suffered a broken toe in the pre-season training in Biarritz in the South of France, his absence ishardly going to upset Saracens' preparations.