England coach Clive Woodward will not pressurise his captain Martin Johnson to appeal against a three-week ban imposed upon him by a Rugby Football Union (RFU) disciplinary panel on Friday.

Unless Johnson appeals against his punishment for punching Saracens' Scottish international Robbie Russell during a Premiership match earlier this month, the Leicester skipper will be ruled out of England's crucial Six Nations match with France a week on Sunday.

The match at the Stade de France is a potential Grand Slam decider as both teams have won their opening two matches in this season's championship.

The two-time British Lions captain has 14 days in which to appeal against the verdict. "I will not be putting any pressure on either Leicester or Martin Johnson to appeal," Woodward told the Daily Telegraph.

"I don't believe either that Johnson should be banned. I don't think the incident warranted it. I watch a lot of games and see lots of punches thrown.

"Apart from one incident - Garath Archer's punch in the Bristol-Gloucester game that got him sent off - I've seen no one banned for throwing a punch.

"Johnson did it as a spur-of-the-moment thing. He's England captain and it's even more right that we don't overreact to the situation.

"He should be treated like any other rugby player. If we are going to ban everyone for punching then fine - ban Martin Johnson and so be it. I've got no issue with that. I don't think he should be singled out because he is England captain."

Johnson made no comment as he left the Bristol hotel where the disciplinary panel announced their verdict. However, Leicester director of rugby Dean Richards said the club would consider the full implications of the decision over the weekend.

At a marathon session, the three-man panel of chairman and criminal lawyer Richard Smith, RFU senior vice president Derek Morgan and Richard Moon, Cambridge University's RFU council member, needed more than seven hours to reach their verdict.

Should Johnson, capped 65 times by England, choose not to appeal, his Leicester teammate and flanker Neil Back is likely to take over the captaincy with Bath's Danny Grewcock called into the second row. - Sapa