Robson was shown a red card just 46 seconds into Saturday's Guinness Premiership opener at Twickenham, after leaving Wasps scrum-half Joe Simpson with a bloody nose. The Quins forward must appear before a Rugby Football Union disciplinary panel at a London hotel tomorrow night and faces a minimum four-week ban.

The top-end sanction for striking an opponent with the head is 12 weeks, but a suspension of up to two years can be issued for the offence if it is deemed serious enough. Robson's dismissal marked an appalling start to the season for Quins, whose reputation has been left in tatters by the 'Bloodgate' scandal that has rumbled on for much of the summer.

Vainikolo appeared at Bristol Crown Court today after allegedly attacking a man outside a nightclub. The 30-year-old, from Cheltenham, was charged following an incident on October 26 last year, in which a man - Jake Alicker - was taken to hospital with head injuries. The incident took place outside the Second Bridge nightclub in Bath's Manvers Street. Vainikolo previously entered not guilty pleas to the charges.

'The Volcano', who made his England debut in 2008, was out of action most of last season after undergoing surgery on a ruptured Achilles tendon - an injury sustained while he was playing for Gloucester against Saracens earlier this year.

But had Matt Giteau managed to convert teenage star James O'Connor's late try at the Suncorp Stadium to push Australia beyond a 15-point winning margin, then New Zealand would have regained the No.1 ranking.

Australia remain third after ending a run of six consecutive Tri Nations defeats, having increased their cushion over Ireland, the leading northern hemisphere nation in fourth. France round out the top five places.

The ability of the IRFU to retain the top professional players in the country was aided by the portion of the Act that allowed professional sports people to claim tax relief on their earnings in Ireland over a 10 year period of their careers.

The Unions claims that the retention of the top professional players, allowing their welfare and coaching to be controlled centrally by the provinces and the IRFU, has been fundamental to the success and growth of professional rugby in the last decade.

Commenting on the recommendations, IRFU Chief Executive Philip Browne said, "Keeping the top professional players in Ireland has always been a key strategic aim of Irish Rugby to maintain a competitive structure at both provincial and international level. In addition to the other support mechanisms in place in Ireland, the sports person's tax relief scheme was a key consideration for players when making decisions on professional contracts."

Last season's runners-up accounted for Moseley with an impressive 50-25 win while Bristol, relegated from the Premiership last season, beat London Welsh 28-23. There were also victories for Coventry, Plymouth Albion, Bedford and Penzance & Newlyn.