Hartley to appear before RFU

The Northampton Saints and England hooker Dylan Hartley will find out today if he'll be banned for the rest of the season for allegedly biting an opponent.

Hartley’s been cited over a claim he bit the finger of Ireland flanker Stephen Ferris during England's Six Nations match at Twickenham on Saturday 17th March.

He's due to appear before an RFU disciplinary panel on Tuesday 27th March. If found guilty, Hartley would face a minimum 12-week ban, meaning he’d miss the rest of the Saints season, and England's summer tour of South Africa in June.

The maximum punishment for biting offences is a four-year ban.