Former Ireland international Donncha O’Callaghan believes Garry Ringrose’s Six Nations red card against Wales “holds a massive mirror” up to rugby’s disciplinary processes.

Ireland centre Ringrose was dismissed for a high tackle on Ben Thomas in the Principality Stadium last month but will sit out just one championship game, his side’s hosting of France in Dublin on Saturday.

“If we’re going to give the bans, we need to stand by them. Otherwise we’re undermining all our officials,” said O’Callaghan on Rugby Union Weekly.

“We [Ireland] are incredibly lucky to have Garry back on the pitch so soon.

“Nothing towards him. He’s an incredible player, not a bit dirty, an incredible guy, but that went wrong.

“To see the way the citing went is disappointing.”

Ringrose’s three-game ban came after the mid-range entry point of a six week/match suspension was reduced by 50% taking into account his guilty plea and previous disciplinary record.

A further game will be taken off should Ringrose complete World Rugby’s Coaching Intervention Programme.

The 30-year-old was also able to serve the first game of the suspension during Leinster’s United Rugby Championship victory over Cardiff on Saturday, meaning he could return against Italy in the Six Nations’ final weekend.

Romain Ntamack was handed a similar ban for his red card against Wales in round one, also for a tackle on Thomas, although his suspension did not include matches for his club side Toulouse.

Both players were inititally shown yellow cards subject to off-field reviews.

That meant the punishment could only be upgraded to a 20-minute rather than full red card and allowed Ireland to later replace Ringrose with Bundee Aki.

Given the huge impact made by Aki in the remainder of the game, O’Callaghan questioned the reduced sanction which is being used in the Six Nations for the first time this season.

“You have to think does it undermine the card itself?” he added.

“Did Wales lose out on the advantage? Do France gain as opposed to what it was there for?

“It holds a massive mirror up to the sanction.”