England hopeful David Ribbans banned for three weeks after red card

Northampton Saints lock David Ribbans has been handed a three-week suspension following his red-card incident in the recently concluded Gallagher Premiership game against Exeter Chiefs.

Ribbans was sent-off in the 14th minute by referee Craig Maxwell-Keys for a high tackle on Exeter’s Luke Cowan-Dickie and despite his absence the Saints came close to a victory before they were edged out by Rob Baxter’s men 29-26 in the closely fought encounter at Franklin’s Gardens.

He faced a disciplinary hearing on Monday and accepted guilty to a breach of World Rugby Law 9.13 that deals with dangerous tackling.

His three-week suspension means the 25-year-old will miss the final round of the Premiership against Bath, along with Northampton’s pre-season games against Bedford and Ospreys – plans yet to be revealed by Saints but released by the RFU.

It leaves England head coach Eddie Jones with a decision to make after selecting Ribbans as a replacement for Courtney Lawes following an injury earlier this year in the Six Nations.

Should he be included in Jones’ England squad announcement this Thursday, Ribbans will miss matches against Scotland A and USA. If not, he will be free to resume playing from September 14.