Joe Moody cops two match suspension for this hit on Beale

Crusaders prop Joe Moody has been suspended for two games after pleading guilty for striking Kurtley Beale off the ball in his side's comeback win over the Waratahs.

Moody, making his first appearance of the Super Rugby season, made contact with Kurtley Beale in the 35th minute - in the build up to his own try in the 31-29 thriller.

Foul play review committee chairman Nigel Hampton said the strike merited a mid-range entry point of four weeks due to the dangerous contact with the opposing player's head. However, taking into account Moody's "excellent" judicial record, good character and early guilty plea, the suspension was reduced to two weeks.

The suspension will see Moody miss matches against the Blues and Hurricanes but 29-year-old will return to face the Chiefs, making him available for All Blacks selection ahead of their test series against France one week later.

Waratahs coach Daryl Gibson was frustrated by the Moody incident - that he labeled as a key moment in the game - was not picked up on-field.

"I thought the Joe Moody incident with the elbow the referees missed, to my book, it's an elbow to the head, so I'm sure the powers to be will look at that," Gibson said.

Moody's try shifted the momentum towards the Crusaders and the home side used the swing of impetus to score two more tries right on halftime.