Hartley: Cited for Best incident
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Northampton and England hooker Dylan Hartley has been cited over an incident during Friday's Heineken Cup defeat by Ulster.
The Saints skipper has been reported by match commissioner Jean-Claude Legendre for striking opposite number and Ulster hooker Rory Best with his arm, European Rugby Cup announced.
No date has yet been set for Hartley's disciplinary hearing.
Hartley has only recently returned to action after suffering an injury that sidelined him from England's autumn Test campaign.
Northampton, meanwhile, are facing a pool stage exit from the Heineken Cup following a 25-6 defeat to Ulster.
The teams meet again in Belfast next Saturday, with Saints needing victory to keep alive their slim quarter-final hopes.
Recommended International Rugby Board sanctions for striking with the fist or arm range from a two-week ban at the low end to a maximum 52 weeks.
"Hartley is alleged to have struck Ulster Rugby forward Rory Best with his arm during the second half of the match at Franklin's Gardens," ERC said in a statement.
"Details of the hearing date and the appointed independent judicial officer will be announced shortly."
Hooker Hartley, 26, has a chequered past in terms of disciplinary issues.
He was banned for 26 weeks in April 2007 after being found guilty of eye-gouging Wasps players James Haskell and Jonny O'Connor.
It was a punishment that dashed his hopes of being part of England's World Cup campaign in France later that year.
And earlier this year, he was banned for eight weeks after being cited for biting Ireland flanker Stephen Ferris during an Six Nations clash at Twickenham.
If Hartley is banned for the Best incident, he could miss forthcoming Aviva Premiership and Heineken Cup games for Northampton.
And it could also jeopardise his chances of reclaiming the England hooking berth that was impressively filled by Leicester's Tom Youngs during the autumn games.
England kick off their Six Nations campaign against Scotland at Twickenham on February 2.
Comments
Madraglas says...
@Qkram79 I've not checked his passport but given that he is playing for England god only knows where he was born!!! Jonny O'Connor was the Irish one in that instance.
Posted 13:03 12th December 2012
ferdie says...
ArmchairGeneral says...This New Zealand born and bread
you mean bread, like toast?
English mother, dual nationality, and 10yrs in England not in the equation?
here's the England player's alleged offence:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZznTpNJ9YlQ
Posted 11:02 12th December 2012
Norm says...
Jamie the prop
In a recently proposed lions 15 I had Hartley, and I reckon Best is the best all round hooker in NH. Hartley is the most effective scrummager. Illegaly so but yes the most effective. As soon as the ball leaves the SH hands he is standing up. It is less noticeable in an England shirt but that is the extent of his repetoire. He has a McCawesque cloak around him which seems to mean he largely escapes being pinged for it, but he is good at scrum time because he is very good at cheating at it.
And sorry do you really expect that we should say, 'hes a hooker he should gouge and forearm smash his way through the opposition!'
I have played in the scrum too and we all know what goes on, I am missing a tooth from the midst of a scrum some years back, but because it does go on doesnt mean that it should be condoned or tolerated when it is clearly visible.
Posted 00:51 12th December 2012
JamieTheProp says...
@ Jcahill1 - if going backward at a rate of knots, collapsing in and giving away penalty after penalty after penalty at scrum time shows Hartley was the best I couldn't agree more (which is where I think you were going with that one).
I just think there are a lot of people commenting here who simply have never played the game - certainly not week in and week out. Certainly not in the tight 5.
I've always said Rugby Union is a game you can't fully understand unless you have played it - and the comments here show many people have not!
For me - hookers should horrible, props should prop first and run around the pitych second, they should bring back rucking and backs are all shandy drinking softies!
Posted 20:02 11th December 2012
ArmchairGeneral says...
@jamie the prop. Good point not made by anyone else.
@jcahill he's only been back one game. Lets see next week and 6 nations
Posted 19:10 11th December 2012
ArmchairGeneral says...
@passtheball: totally agree. This New Zealand born and bread England hooker seems to revert to his home grown ways.
Posted 19:04 11th December 2012
BWJC says...
JamieTheProp - well said sir!
Posted 17:14 11th December 2012
Chubbylugs says...
Haven't seen it, but please don't jump to conclusions just because he isn't well liked. The ferris incident in the 6n was dubious with ferris squealing like a girl to the ref. No video evidence if I remember correctly?
Problem we are all getting a bit high and mighty about foul play when it's someone else's team, whilst neglecting to admit our own failings
Posted 16:55 11th December 2012
Jcahill1 says...
@ jamietheprop
I think Best made it very clear in that game who is the best hooker in the home nations.
Posted 15:35 11th December 2012
rockman says...
Gat land cannot afford to bring someone with his temperament and record on tour. the Lions management cannot risk having any of the squad banned on such a short tour as any ban would surely rule out the offender.
Posted 14:08 11th December 2012
rustytrumpet says...
throw the book at him, the guy is obviuosly a lunatic. terrible record for a terrible player
Posted 13:15 11th December 2012
JamieTheProp says...
He's a hooker - he's not supposed to be nice! He's supposed to be horrible! I wonder how many of you have actually ever played in a front row and understand what goes on?
He's also part of the front row unit that absolutely took apart Ireland and generally got on top of every other nation in the last 6 Nations at scrum time. I also think that England haven't scrummaged as well in the Autumn Tests without him which shows what a destructive hooker he is.
These days (with feeding at the scrum) a hooker's job is to scrummage and put in at the line (while getting around the pitch).
He is the best scrummaging hooker in the 6 Nations, his throwing in is as good as anyone and he gets around the pitch. So for me he walks onto the plane for the Lions.
And the fact that the Welsh and Irish don't like him is good - I wouldn't like him if he had bent me double in a scrum either! And it makes Welsh or Irish hookers on the plane work even harder to be picked in front of him (never a bad thing).
Has nobody ever seen the Living with the Lions video where the front rows in training stand up fighting? That is the passion that fuels the Lions - the thin line between building a team and encouraging natural levels of competition.
All the best hookers in the world have been horrible - Brian Moore, Keith Wood, Sean Fitzpatrick to name just a few of the best! It goes with the position and the territory!
And as for Hartley ensuring England are disliked - people will find a reason to dislike England whatever we do - whether it is celebrating a try or the heritage of our players.
Would I take Hartley over any other hooker in the home nations - yes I would. Why? Simple - he is better than all the others at his core role. Plus it will be an all-England front row.
Posted 13:14 11th December 2012
passtheball says...
This English hooker is a serial offender and will not change.
Posted 12:56 11th December 2012
J_HDK says...
It might be a good idea to bring in some sort of three strikes rule for repeat offenders that never seem to learn
Posted 11:55 11th December 2012
TVaddict says...
@spike19
How do you figure that, has Hartley even had a red card? The only red card I can remember from last weekend was for a welsh player.
Posted 11:45 11th December 2012
nhb99 says...
@Spike19
I like him more & more, having read your post. Hartley to captain the Lions!
Posted 11:23 11th December 2012
norm says...
Recently hore had his impeccable record taken into account when they considered his sentence. I trust this goon's despicable one will be taken into account also?
Posted 11:00 11th December 2012
TVaddict says...
@Isograford
If you think punching someone from behind and landing them in hospital is the same as what Hartley did then you are a worrying person.
@madraglas
Because Irish players do more off the ball stuff than anyone else?
I said he should be cited and he has, but it wasn't a serious offence. I've had stuff like that happen to me and carried on without mentioning it till now. The difference is that it was caught on TV so they need to make a little statement. I'd say two weeks would be fair, maybe up to three taking into account his previous offences.
@Centre12
I'd like Wood to be NH captain, maybe he'll get a shot while Hartley is banned.
@ArmchairGeneral
lol, I'd noticed that too. They never bring up the 'heritage' stuff when it's bad news. There are some really obvious 'another thugish NZ hooker' jokes that I thought at least BokAvenger would have come up with.
Posted 10:40 11th December 2012
spike19 says...
Hartley is a dirty player and a thug. I don't think I have ever watched a game where he didn't bite, stamp, gauge or attempt to damage someone. Remember that cowardly forearm charge on McCaw when at the bottom of a ruck?
He is not well liked outside the England camp and especially so with the Irish and Welsh players. I don't see how Gatland can afford to have this kind of player in the Lions Squad. The Aussies and Deans are extremely astute and would target him as a player with a short fuse. If there is anyone who could get a red card its Hartley.
Posted 10:30 11th December 2012
ironmani441 says...
Actually madraglas it does make a difference that it is on the pitch, rather than off it in the eyes of the laws of England and Wales, but agreed Hartley is a thug and I hope he gets at least a couple months for this.
Posted 09:44 11th December 2012