Hartley set to learn 6 Nations Fate
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England Captain Dylan Hartley will find out today at 2pm if he will be available to captain England in the 6 Nations next year after he was sent off in Friday night's Champions Cup clash with Leinster at Franklin's Gardens.
It was the third time the Northampton Saints hooker has seen sent off in his career. The 30-year-old was dismissed 6 minutes after coming on as a substitute for a wild swinging stiff-arm tackle on Leinster back row Sean O' Brien.
Hartley never seems to be out of the headlines, the majority of these however have been for the wrong reasons. Having previously received bans totalling a period of 52 weeks throughout his career, Hartley has never been shy of causing controversy.
The details of the charge Hartley will face have yet to be released, due to the wild nature of the attempted tackle it could certainly fall under the striking or dangerous tackle category.
.@SaintsRugby's Dylan Hartley is sent off for a dangerous tackle on @leinsterrugby's Sean O'Brien. #ChampionsCup https://t.co/H9C0S6SbnB
— BT Sport Rugby (@btsportrugby) December 9, 2016
A suspension of eight weeks and above would rule him out of the Six Nations opener against France at Twickenham on February 4, 2017.
Given his chequered career to date which includes biting, gouging, head butting and swearing at a referee - a long ban is almost guaranteed.
The tackle has been widely condemned and has left current England coach, Eddie Jones, facing some difficult questions following his reinstatement of Hartley as captain.
