Wasps will consider an appeal against the three-week ban handed to Nathan Hughes after their star No 8 was found guilty of recklessly kneeing George North and told he can’t play against Toulon. Hughes was shown a red card in Friday night’s Aviva Premiership clash with Northampton for an incident which saw North suffer his third confirmed concussion in less than four months, leading to calls for him not to play again this season. An RFU disciplinary panel upheld the red card shown to Hughes by referee Craig Maxwell-Keys and banned him until April 28, meaning he will miss Sunday’s European Champions Cup quarter final clash with the two-time champions. Nathan Hughes has been banned for three weeks and will miss Wasps' game against Toulon . George North was out cold on the pitch at Franklin's Gardens after scoring a try . Sir James Dingemans, chair of a three-man panel with Aidan O’Brien and Martyn Wood, said: ‘This was a three week ban on the basis that no intention was found. However, there was recklessness meaning that, notwithstanding the harm, it was a low entry point of four weeks with mitigation of one week to reflect his previous clean playing record.' Speaking before the hearing Wasps director of rugby Dai Young made it clear he did not believe his star forward should be punished further and indicated he would appeal any ban. ‘I don’t think it was a red card,’ said Young. ‘The sending off certainly penalised us enough on the night. If there is a ban we can appeal it. If there’s a ban we’ll have to sit down and decide what to do with Nathan because he needs to be part of the process.’ It is understood any appeal would be heard before Sunday’s clash, meaning Hughes could yet feature. The incident left North concussed in the act of scoring his second try of the match and has led to calls for the Wales and Northampton winger to be rested for the rest of the season over fears for his long-term welfare. North was knocked out again and was forced off after a clash with Hughes during Saints' win over  Wasps . North was unable to continue and has been advised not to play again until the World Cup in September . Hughes was understood to be distraught after the game and sought North out to apologise. ‘I know Nathan,’ said Wasps club captain James Haskell. ‘I don’t think he meant to do it. I think anyone knows he didn’t mean to do it. I don’t think it should have been a red card at all. I think he tried to slow down, he catches George but it is a contact sport. ‘That is what happens. I think they have changed the wording now to say something about being reckless but rugby is reckless. The whole game is reckless. If you are worried about that, I don’t really know what we should be doing. ‘Maybe we should all just wear foam suits and just play touch.’ Young said after the game that he believed the repeated replays on the big screen at Franklin’s Gardens, allied to a partisan home ground, had pressurised the match officials into sending Hughes off. Haskell also has recent experience of the impact of replays following the second-half yellow card he was shown for a trip in England’s Six Nations clash with France by referee Nigel Owens after he viewed footage on the big screen. ‘I don’t think it helps with the crowd getting on top of referees,’ he said. ‘With Nigel Owens, we (England) had set for a scrum. It was a yellow card, there is no arguing that, but the fact they replayed it seven times and the same with Nathan, replaying it, I don’t think it helps. If you slow anything down it will look worse than it is. ‘I just think that those TMOs are there, they have all the angles to see it. It is down to their job, I don’t know why you have to share. Replays are good but any contentious stuff, why would you let emotion (come into it) because we are all fallible. The fact I made a mistake shows I am fallible. Nathan tried his best to slow down and caught the guy.’
Wasps will consider an appeal against the three-week ban handed to Nathan Hughes . Hughes was shown a red card for an incident which saw North suffer his third confirmed concussion in less than four months . An RFU disciplinary panel upheld the red card shown to Hughes by referee Craig Maxwell-Keys and banned him until April 28 .