Dylan Hartley banned for three weeks

Dylan Hartley will not miss the Six Nations after he was suspended for only three weeks following the red card he received in the East Midlands derby against Leicester on Saturday.
The Northampton and England hooker was found guilty of striking Tigers centre Matt Smith in the face with his elbow and there were fears his previous disciplinary record would see him received a hefty ban.
But he will be free to play again on January 12 meaning he will miss Saints’ next three games against Harlequins, Newcastle and Sale but will return in time for the last two round of the Champions Cup and the Six Nations which start on February 6 against Wales in Cardiff.
Judicial Officer Jeremy Summers said: “The sanction reflects the low end entry point of the offence, which carries a two-week tariff. The entry point was aggravated having regard to Dylan’s previous record and a week was taken off to reflect mitigating circumstances. As such the sanction reflects the player’s record rather than the seriousness of the offence itself.”