Sharks flank Jean Deysel has been suspended for three weeks after being sent off for stamping on the head of Crusaders flank Jordan Taufua.

Deysel will miss all rugby until 7 June, Sanzar said in a statement.

The 29-year-old was sent off in the 16th minute of the match in Christchurch following intervention from the TMO after the incident had been missed by referee Rohan Hoffman.

'Stamping is a serious offence,' judicial officer Jannie Lubbe said. 'It is an offence that cannot be tolerated in the game because not only is it totally against the spirit of the game, but it carries an inherent potential danger of serious injury to players, especially when contact is made in the head/face area.'

The offence could have earned Deysel a five-week ban but an apology by the flank after the game, the nature of Taufua's injury, Deysel's genuine remorse and his good disciplinary record were accepted as mitigation.

Meanwhile, Ed O'Donoghue has been cleared of eye-gouging. The Reds lock was red-carded in Brisbane and the Rebels awarded a match-winning penalty.

While TMO Steve Lescynscki said he detected fingers in the eyes of Scott Higginbotham, Lubbe took a different view after studying all camera angles in conjunction with medical evidence from the Rebels that their skipper was unharmed.

'The act of eye-gouging generally triggers a reaction from the victim which was not evident in this case and helped support my finding,' said Lubbe.

Photo: Martin Hunter/Getty Images