One-match ban: Chris Ashton
Chris Ashton will miss England's game against Fiji after receiving a one-game ban for picking up three yellow cards.
The Saracens wing received a retrospective yellow card for a dangerous tackle on Vasily Artemyev during last Saturday's win at former club Northampton.
That took him to three yellows for the season and triggered an automatic disciplinary hearing.
A Rugby Football Union disciplinary panel of Jeff Blackett, Jeremy Summers and Peter Budge decided to slap him with a one-match ban.
The suspension begins on November 4, which rules Ashton of England's first game of the end-of-year internationals against Fiji at Twickeham.
However, the 25-year-old will be available for the games with Rugby Championship heavyweights Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.
Ashton's suspension opens the way for Ugo Monye and Charlie Sharples to be England's likely starting wings against Fiji.
In the meantime, Ashton has been urged by the RFU's disciplinary panel to work on his tackle technique after effectively receiving three yellow cards for dangerous play this season.
"We are concerned about his tackling technique and encouraged that he and his coaches work to correct it," said Panel chairman Judge Blackett.
"We were guided by the IRB recommendation that a one week suspension was appropriate for totting up offences.
"The player was not released back to his club by England for Saracens' game on Sunday, November 4 so it would be inappropriate to commence the suspension immediately.
"We have therefore deferred commencement until Sunday November 4 so he misses a game he would have played in.
"We would like to add that Chris Ashton took a realistic and mature approach to proceedings and expressed genuine contrition."
Comments
tagi83 says...
@bokssmashoffice.....so true man....3 weeks is nothing...pacific island players get suspended for a much longer time for those type of tackles.....lucky he isnt playing against the fijians or he wud be definately be getting a taste of his own medicine....lol
Posted 02:24 02nd November 2012
Admack says...
He won't make the lions ahead of others anyway so who cares... Too much of a liability and majorly over-rated
Posted 22:24 01st November 2012
stumpy says...
boksmashoffice is right, and Im speaking as someone who is English. It's like Manu Tuilagi has been in so many scandals, but his bans always seem to end like a week before the big tests for some reason... haha
Posted 18:20 01st November 2012
boksmashoffice says...
If he was fijian I bet he would have got 10 weeks. I remember Lewis Moody breaking someones jaw ang getting 7 weeks and Nicky Little did a dangerous tackle and got more. Ther RFU are a joke.
Posted 12:40 01st November 2012
heart_of_oak says...
magnoac
If Ashton doesn't make any of the winter tests, we have other very good wings who could replace him. Varndell scores as many tries and doesn't get into bother. Wade is also very effective. Sharples isn't bad but we don't really know what he could do. Banahan - forgotten man of English rugby - I'd play him against big wingers. Delon Armitage - if we could only drop our stupid attitude to players based in France - good on defence and attack and can cover full back. The list goes on....
Some of the rugby league lads who have converted to union are not looking too bad either...
Posted 10:46 01st November 2012
magnoac says...
Clear lack of consistency here, RFU gives Ashton a slap on the wrists and a one match ban for three dangerous tackle yellow cards-just so he won't miss the internationals. The French Rugby Union gave Tolofua a six week ban for only two similar incidents and he will miss the internationals
Posted 09:43 01st November 2012
mana says...
Tackling techniques,..whats next?? running techniques,
Posted 08:30 01st November 2012
Jediboy says...
The RFU have hit the nail on the head with this one - his tackle technique definitely needs work. Three yellows for dangerous tackles this early in the season is bad. And, clearly, dangerous. 10 minutes in the bin only helps the opposition and against teams like NZ and Oz that's the last thing we need.
Posted 07:51 01st November 2012
rugbylover says...
Well!
Wasn't he just the lucky one?
Obviously his past record has been taken into account. Er.
So that's all right, then.
Especially if one considers Englands other opponents.
Posted 07:12 01st November 2012