British and Irish Lions

Gillies was sent off for the second offence during the Guinness Premiership match at the Memorial Stadium on April 7. The first was missed by the referee but not by citing officer Peter Larter.

A Rugby Football Union disciplinary panel suspended Gillies until April 26, meaning he will miss Sunday's Premiership trip to London Irish.

He is free to play again on April 27.

RFU disciplinary officer, HHJ Blackett said: "The sending-off was a mid-range entry point offence which carries a recommended sanction of five weeks.

"However, we gave Craig credit for his good character and the circumstances of the incident and consequently imposed a maximum reduction of three weeks.

"We gave him a one-week ban for the citing (for stamping) but because this incident and the red card were 15 seconds apart and, in effect, the same phase of play, the panel decided the suspensions should run concurrently rather than consecutively."

Assistant coach Graham Rowntree says The British & Irish Lions will have to be fully focussed to avoid a potential banana skin when they face The Barbarians a week today.

Three former British & Irish Lions will line-up against an England XV at Twickenham Stadium on Sunday as the Barbarians warm-up for their showdown with the 2013 tourists in Hong Kong next week.

Lions skipper Sam Warburton says the lessons he and his Welsh colleagues learnt in Australia last summer will stand them in good stead for their return visit with Britain and Ireland's elite next month.