- Three-man panel have cleared Dylan Hartley, ensuring he will not face a ban
- Hartley was cited after a swinging hand hit the face of Rabah Slimani last week
- England coach Eddie Jones now has his captain available for the autumn series
- Lions prop Joe Marler, however, will miss Argentina and Australia with a ban
Dylan Hartley has been cleared to lead England into the autumn series at Twickenham next month, after having a foul play charge against him dismissed at a hearing in London.
The Northampton hooker was cited after swinging his hand into the face of Clermont Auvergne prop Rabah Slimani during last Saturday’s Champions Cup encounter in France.
If he had been found guilty of the incident, the 31-year-old would have faced a ban of at least two weeks, but the three-man disciplinary panel concluded that he did not warrant a red card for the ‘reckless’ offence.
Dylan Hartley has been cleared after initially being cited over a swinging hand last week
Hartley is now free to lead England in the autumn series at Twickenham next month
Dylan Hartley’s citing has been dismissed.
Dallaglio on Sunday: “It was a yellow, but there shouldn’t be any follow up.”
Case closed �� pic.twitter.com/BdlUQTxf2R
— BT Sport Rugby (@btsportrugby) October 25, 2017
It is a welcome verdict for Hartley, his club and England head coach Eddie Jones – who is due to name his squad for the November Tests against Argentina, Australia and Samoa on Thursday.
The Australian values the inspirational impact his skipper has had since taking on the role at the start of last year and he will be relieved to have him available to lead the national team once again.
Hartley has had more than his fair share of disciplinary problems over the years, but this appears to be a fair outcome following what appeared to be no more than an accident.
The England skipper was shown a yellow card for striking Clermont prop Rabah Slimani
Eddie Jones will be delighted with Hartley’s availability ahead of announcing his squad
He was looking intently towards another Clermont forward as he attempted a ruck clear-out and there was no sign of malice in the way his hand struck Slimani’s face.
However, there was bad news for Jones and England hours later as another of the national team’s leading front-rowers, Lions prop Joe Marler, was banned for three weeks for striking Will Rowlands of Wasps with his arm.
Marler pleaded guilty to the offence, which was deemed to have been ‘mid-range’ and worthy of a red card.
He has been suspended until November 19, which means the Harlequins loosehead will miss England’s key autumn fixtures against Argentina and Australia.
However Joe Marler has been banned for three weeks for striking Will Rowlands
Marler pleaded guilty to the ‘mid-range’ offence, which was deemed worthy of a red card