England’s Dylan Hartley could miss Six Nations
Northampton look set to mount a robust defence of their captain after he was sent off for elbowing Leicester centre Matt Smith in the face at Franklin’s Gardens on Saturday.
Hartley could miss at least the start of England’s RBS 6 Nations campaign following the latest episode in a career scarred by repeated disciplinary episodes.
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Hide AdThe Rugby Football Union has yet to confirm when 28-year-old Hartley’s hearing will take place but moves are afoot for it to be held tomorrow evening.
Hartley was handed a 26-week ban for eye-gouging in 2007, and an 11-week suspension for verbally abusing referee Wayne Barnes during the 2013 Aviva Premiership final against Leicester. That latter ban led to him missing the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia, and RFU disciplinary chiefs could well take a dim view of his latest indiscretion.
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It happened after just 17 minutes of a titanic Premiership east midlands derby that Northampton won 23-19 thanks to substitute Jamie Elliott’s 77th-minute try that stand-off Stephen Myler converted from the touchline.
Referee JP Doyle initially seemed happy to award Hartley a yellow card, but television match official Sean Davey urged Doyle to watch further replays, and he responded by sending 61 times-capped Hartley off.
“It was disappointing,” Northampton rugby director Jim Mallinder said. “Dylan has got to keep his arms down, but he was being held and I don’t know there was any malice in it.
“The nature of the game didn’t justify a red card. I think Smith went down pretty easily, to be honest. It is a tough game but I don’t think there was any malice in that. I think JP’s initial reaction of the yellow card would have been the correct decision.”
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