RugbyU: Hartley Banned For Six Weeks, Cleared For Six Nations

LONDON, , (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Dec, 2016 ) - England captain Dylan Hartley will be available to skipper the Six Nations Grand Slam titleholders for their opening game after receiving a six-week ban on Wednesday.

The 31-year-old New Zealand-born hooker received the ban for striking Leinster flanker Sean O'Brien in last Friday's European Champions Cup clash with his side Northampton. Hartley had only been on the pitch for six minutes.

Hartley, who was left out of the 2015 World Cup squad by previous England coach Stuart Lancaster because of his poor disciplinary record, will be free to play again on January 23. He will still face a race to be considered match fit with England beginning the defence of their Six Nations title against France at Twickenham on February 4.

Hartley's previous poor record counted against him when the Independent Disciplinary Commission came to consider their punishment. "In upholding the red card decision, the Committee found that the offence was at the mid-range of World Rugby's sanctions and selected five weeks as the appropriate entry point," read the judgement of the Commission.

"Taking into account Hartley's poor disciplinary record, the Committee added two weeks to the sanction and then reduced the sanction by one week due to the player's guilty plea before imposing a suspension of six weeks."