England centre left in limbo

DISCIPLINARY UPDATE: Saracens and England centre Alex Lozowski’s prospects of playing against South Africa at Twickenham next weekend remained uncertain after he won one disciplinary appeal and lost another.

Lozowski was banned by an independent disciplinary committee after being cited for dangerous play at a ruck during Saracens’ European Champions Cup victory over Glasgow earlier this month.

Officials initially ruled the 25-year-old would miss last weekend’s Champions Cup tie and the Premiership Cup match against Leicester on Saturday before becoming available on October 29.

The Premiership Cup, as opposed to England’s top division Premiership, is designed mainly as a tournament for emerging players but one for which Lozowski was eligible.

Nevertheless, following Lozowski’s call-up to the England squad for the November internationals and their ongoing training camp in Portugal, European Professional Club Rugby’s independent disciplinary review adjusted the matches covered by the suspension on the grounds he was unlikely to play in the Premiership Cup fixture in any event.

However, an appeal committee ruled Friday that the decision at the initial hearing was in error, and should be set aside.

But EPCR had themselves appealed against the disciplinary committee’s decision to dismiss a second citing complaint against Lozowski arising from the Glasgow match.

Lozowski was also cited for an alleged dangerous tackle on Glasgow full-back Ruaridh Jackson, but the committee decided that incident did not warrant a red card and dismissed the complaint.

But the committee decided that decision was in error too, adding the case would now be reheard “by a newly-constituted independent disciplinary committee as soon as convenient for all parties”.

England face the Springboks at Twickenham on November 3.

Agence France-Presse