LONDON: Harlequins prop Joe Marker will be available for both his club's upcoming appearance in a European final and England's tour of Australia after receiving a two-week ban on Wednesday for kicking an opponent.
Marler was given the suspension by a disciplinary panel hearing in London after being cited for kicking Grenoble hooker Arnaud Heguy during last Friday's European Challenge Cup semi-final, a match London club Quins won 30-6 at their Twickenham Stoop ground.
It was the England international's first appearance following a previous two-week suspension imposed for his "Gypsy boy" slur against Wales' Samson Lee in last month' Six Nations Championship game at Twickenham.
However, a statement issued on behalf of a three-strong disciplinary committee convened by Challenge Cup organisers European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) said they had not taken Marler's previous suspension into account as it was "of an entirely different nature".
Marler will now miss Harlequins' two remaining regular season English Premiership games against London Irish and Exeter.
But the front-row forward will be available for the second-tier Challenge Cup final against Montpellier in Lyon on May 13 and England's three-Test tour of Australia in June.
An EPCR statement issued after Wednesday's hearing said: "In upholding the citing complaint, the committee found that Marler had committed an act of foul play that warranted a red card.
"It determined that the offence was at the low end of World Rugby's sanctions and selected four weeks as the appropriate entry point.
"In deciding to disregard the player's recent suspension as it was of an entirely different nature, the committee then reduced the sanction by two weeks -- 50 percent of the entry point -- before imposing a suspension of two weeks.
"Marler is free to play on Monday, May 9. Both the player and EPCR have the right to appeal the decision."
The 25-year-old Marler initially escaped censure for his taunts against prop Lee in England's 25-21 Six Nations victory over Wales at Twickenham on March 12.
Global governing body World Rugby later intervened and called a misconduct hearing however, dissatisfied with the leniency of Six Nations and RFU bosses. Marler admitted the charge and was banned for two matches and fined £20,000 ($29,000, 25,700 euros).
Aa separate hearing on Wednesday will see Marler's fellow England Six Nations Grand Slam winner Owen Farrell hoping to avoid a lengthy ban.
Farrell was alleged to have committed a dangerous tackle on Wasps' scrum-half Dan Robson early in the second half of Saracens' 24-17 European Champions Cup semi-final win over their fellow English club in Reading, southwest of London, on Saturday.
The Saracens fly-half was shown a yellow card by French referee Romain Poite for the head-high challenge but was still cited afterwards.
Premiership leaders Saracens are bidding for a domestic and European double, with their European Champions Cup final against Paris's Racing 92 in Lyon on May 14.
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