Bristol player coach Dean Ryan escaped suspension at a RFU disciplinary hearing after being sent off in a pre-season friendly earlier this month.

Ryan was dismissed after receiving a second yellow card during his club's victory over Welsh side Caerphilly.

But both cautions and a yellow card collected against Newport three days later were wiped out by a three-man Rugby Football Union disciplinary panel Wednesday night.

It means that 34-year-old Ryan can feature in next Sunday's Premiership clash against Wasps at Loftus Road.

However, two yellow cards he picked up last season still stand, and one more caution will result in him receiving an automatic one-match ban.

Welsh referee Phil Fear cautioned Ryan in the first half for punching against Caerphilly, then produced another yellow card after he apparently kneed an opponent in a ruck.

However, the panel, chaired by RFU disciplinary officer Robert Horner, decided that neither of those cards should be upheld, together with his booking at Newport.

While a relieved Ryan left the hearing at a Bristol hotel, Gloucester hooker Jawad Djoudi was summoned before Horner and his fellow RFU representatives Alan Young and Derek Morgan.

Moroccan Djoudi was sent off for butting Saracens wing Darragh O'Mahony during Gloucester's 50-20 Premiership defeat 10 days ago.

The panel took far less time to deal with Djoudi, banning Gloucester's France A international for ten weeks.

His suspension begins tomorrow and will run until November 8, ruling him out of six Premiership matches, four Heineken Cup group games and a Tetley's Bitter Cup fourth round tie.

And Djoudi's ban he could have received up to 20 weeks is another blow for troubled Gloucester coach Philippe Saint-Andre.

Reeling from an injury list currently containing more than a dozen players, and including first-choice hooker Chris Fortey, a lengthy suspension is the last thing he needed.

But Djoudi only has himself to blame, as his reckless act left referee Steve Lander with no exception but to dismiss him.