Owen Farrell will hear the fate of his involvement in England’s Six Nations opener on Tuesday after being cited for a no-arms tackle during a Premiership clash.
A statement issued on Monday by England’s governing Rugby Football Union on Monday said Farrell had been cited for “dangerous tackling”.
He will now face a disciplinary hearing at 6.30pm GMT on Tuesday.
MORE: ‘No-arms’ Farrell under fire again
The 31-year-old Saracens flyhalf was in line to start for England in Steve Borthwick’s first game in charge, against Scotland at Twickenham on 4 February.
But he could be sidelined following what appeared to be a high, shoulder-led charge on Gloucester replacement Jack Clement near the end of a tense encounter at Kingsholm on Friday, where Farrell landed a winning drop-goal with the last kick of the game.
Why wasn’t Owen Farrell’s high tackle on Jack Clement looked at? ?@BrianODriscoll and @BenjaminKayser explain why a miscommunication could have been at fault and consider possible sanctions for the Saracens and England star.#GallagherPrem pic.twitter.com/58MLHArf43
— Rugby on BT Sport (@btsportrugby) January 8, 2023
Match referee Karl Dickson took no on-field action against Farrell, after what appeared to be a miscommunication with the T|V match official.
But citing commissioner James Hall has ruled Farrell, appointed England captain by former coach Eddie Jones, does have a case to answer after the stand-off’s shoulder made contact with Clement’s chin.
Mid-range dangerous tackles, including contact to the head, come with a six-week ban, which can be halved with a good disciplinary record. Suspensions can also be reduced if offenders agree to undergo a course in improving their tackling technique.
Farrell was banned for five games in 2020 following a high tackle on Wasps player Charlie Atkinson, and questions about his technique have been raised before, notably when he escaped sanction for a shoulder charge on South Africa’s Andre Esterhuizen at Twickenham in 2018.
MORE: White undergoes successful surgery
Punishments for suspensions incurred at domestic level in rugby union can also be applied to international matches.
Farrell’s hearing created another headache for Borthwick, among the crowd at Kingsholm, following injuries to back-row Tom Curry and hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie.
© Agence France-Presse
Photo: Julian Finney/Getty Images