Hartley in danger of missing WC

 

Saints skipper Hartley, who has an appalling disciplinary record, could be in danger of missing the World Cup if he is banned.

 

Hartley was cited following the Premiership semifinal match between Northampton Saints and Saracens for striking an opponent with his head, contrary to Law 10.4(a).

 

The lower end of the scale punishment for striking with the head is a four-week ban, rising to 12 weeks or more depending on the scale of seriousness.

 

With Northampton's season now over, any period of suspension for Hartley is unlikely to start until England begin their World Cup warm-up programme in mid-August.

 

Hartley's latest dirty play comes less than two weeks after England head coach Stuart Lancaster ruled Leicester centre Manu Tuilagi out of his World Cup plans.

 

Tuilagi pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer, and Lancaster then announced that 23-year-old Tuilagi would not be considered for selection for England until January 2016, meaning he will miss the World Cup later this year.

 

Hartley has a poor track record of disciplinary issues, and his suspensions add up to a total of 50 weeks over his illustrious playing career. Including incidents such as eye-gouging Wasps forwards James Haskell and Jonny O'Connor in 2007, biting Ireland's Stephen Ferris in a Six Nations game, and verbally abusing Referee Wayne Barnes during the 2013 Premiership final which ruled him out of the British and Irish Lions tour to Australia that he had been selected for.

 

The hearing will be held at the Coventry Holiday Inn on Wednesday May 27.

 

The three person panel will include Mike Hamlin and Tony Wheat and will be chaired by Sean Enright.