Owen Farrell‘s hopes of playing an influential role in this year’s Six Nations are in jeopardy after he was cited for a dangerous tackle made in Saracens‘ victory over Gloucester on Friday.
Farrell made contact with the head of the Cherry and Whites’ Jack Clement in a tackle, an incident controversially not reviewed by referee Karl Dickson.
Dependent on whether the tackle is seen as a mid-range or top-end offence, Farrell could be suspended for up to six or ten weeks respectively, though mitigation could lower the tariff in both cases.
When Farrell received a ban for a top-end offence in a very dangerous tackle on Charlie Atkinson in 2020, his ten week ban was halved after the panel heard from Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall, then England head coach Eddie Jones, and a charity who had worked with Farrell.
A ten-week ban would see him banned for the entirety of the competition, and even with mitigation a five-week sanction would him miss the first two games of the tournament and head into the game against Wales on the 25 February out of match practice.
An RFU Statement read: “Owen Farrell has been cited following the game against Gloucester Rugby on Friday 6 January for dangerous tackling, contrary to World Rugby Law 9.13.
Farrell’s hearing will take place on Tuesday 10 January at 6.30pm and will be heard by an independent disciplinary panel chaired by Philip Evans with Becky Essex and Mitch Read.”
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