Mike Brown’s Harlequins career is over after failed appeal against suspension

The Newcastle-bound 35-year-old was sent off for stamping on the head of Wasps hooker Tommy Taylor at Twickenham Stoop on May 9.

Mike Brown has played his last game for Harlequins (PA Archive)

Mike Brown’s Harlequins career is over after his appeal against a six-week ban for stamping was unsuccessful.

Brown was sent off for standing on the head of Wasps hooker Tommy Taylor at Twickenham Stoop on May 9, resulting in a suspension that rules him out of the rest of Quins’ season.

An independent disciplinary panel on Wednesday night dismissed his attempt to have the sanction reduced, meaning the Newcastle-bound 35-year-old has played his last game for the club he first represented in 2005.

Quins are poised to claim a place in the Gallagher Premiership play-offs with three rounds of the regular season remaining. Even if they reach the final, England’s most-capped full-back will be unable to take part.

“The appeal was dismissed,” read a statement from the panel released by the Rugby Football Union.

“The appeal panel did not accept the submissions that the disciplinary panel had come to a decision to which no reasonable body could have come, particularly bearing in mind that the burden is on the player to establish on the balance of probabilities that no reasonable disciplinary panel could have come to the same conclusion. The original sanction stands.”

The original hearing decided that the accidental stamp warranted a high-end sanction of 12 weeks which was reduced to six because of his unblemished disciplinary record and admission of guilt.

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“It’s really unfortunate that it’s turned out in this way. The best respect and the best thing we can do for Mike is to do the best we can,” said Quins attack coach Nick Evans on Tuesday.

“The first job is to beat Bath on Saturday and take it from there. If we could send him off in unbelievably incredible style then that’s what we’ll try to do.”

Brown won the last of his 72 England caps in 2018, although he was involved in the build up to the 2019 World Cup.

The 35-year-old has made 242 appearances for Quins since 2006 and is departing Twickenham Stoop after failing to secure a new contract with the club.