Jim Hamilton’s Test place is under threat with red card

SCOTLAND lock Jim Hamilton will find out on Thursday if he is free to tour with Scotland this summer after receiving a red card for punching in Gloucester’s final Aviva Premiership match with London Irish on Saturday.

The 29-year-old returned to the Scotland side this season and for the first time in a 39-Test career started every one of the Six Nations Championship matches. However, captaining Gloucester on Saturday for the first time, he was yellow-carded for scrapping with London Irish’s David Paice.

The hooker took Hamilton out off the ball, leading to a Gloucester penalty, and the players squared up. Both were shown yellow cards but as the duo were leaving the field, Paice re-started the spat by verbally abusing Hamilton and jabbing another punch at the Scot. Hamilton responded by punching Paice, sparking another all-in melee with both teams. Referee Dave Pearson called both back and showed them red cards.

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The players will appear before a disciplinary panel at Twickenham on Thursday, chaired by Judge Jeff Blackett, and could face lengthy bans.

Carl Hogg, the acting Gloucester coach after Bryan Redpath’s resignation, commented: “We want discipline and we’ve got issues with the yellow card to start with and then the afters, and that lack of discipline is not acceptable at this level.”

London Irish director of rugby Brian Smith stated that Paice needed 12 stitches in the head cut. Inevitably, he laid all the blame for the dust-up at the feet of Hamilton. “Jim Hamilton has got a lot to answer for - it’s not the 1970s. It was a blight on the game. He is a Test player but I would be surprised if he plays any Test footy this summer because it was a disgrace.”

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