Premiership scrum-half slapped on the wrist for ‘striking with his head’
Tom James - PA
Northampton Saints scrum-half Tom James has been hit with a three-match ban for striking Scotland international counterpart Ben White.
The incident happened at the start of the tense final ten minutes of the Saints’ 22-19 win and was not picked up by match officials at the time, but James was cited shortly after the match.
It was deemed that James had ‘struck White with his head’, an offence which carried a potential six-match suspension.
But the at the independent disciplinary committee hearing the committee opted to reduce the suspension to three matches, taking into consideration his “acceptance of the charge and his clear disciplinary record.”
James, who joined Saints from Doncaster Knights in 2020, will be free to play again on January 8 – meaning he will be absent from his side’s Gallagher Premiership fixtures against Gloucester, Sale and Exeter.
He will, however, be back for round three of the European Champions’ Cup, where Northampton host Bayonne. Should the Saints win that game, they will qualify for the round of 16 with a game to spare. They travel to Thomond Park to face Munster in the final round of matches.
Injury problems
In further unwelcome news for the Saints, wings George Hendy and Tom Seabrook are set for lengthy spells on the sidelines after being forced off against Toulon with injury, the former with an ankle injury, the latter with a damaged knee.
Ollie Sleightholme also suffered a dead hip, but his injury may heal in time for the trip to Gloucester.
Still, with another wing, James Ramm, out for a few months, the injuries to Hendy and Seabrook will likely leave the team stretched ahead of an awkward run of Premiership and Champions’ Cup fixtures.
Northampton sit top of Pool 3 on nine points, ahead of Exeter on points difference, and five points ahead of third-placed Glasgow Warriors. They also sit fifth in the Premiership, only two points behind leaders Sale Sharks, who visit Franklin’s Gardens on December 30.
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