ngland captain Owen Farrell will face a virtual disciplinary hearing on Tuesday after his high-tackle red card against Wales.
Farrell was sent off for a head-high shot on Wales flanker Taine Basham, and now faces a suspension that could restrict his Rugby World Cup involvement.
Saracens stalwart Farrell could expect a ban in the region of four weeks, which would rule him out of the start of England’s World Cup campaign.
The 31-year-old will doubtless miss England’s third World Cup warm-up Test against Ireland in Dublin on Saturday.
The offence comes with a six-week entry point suspension, that Farrell and England will hope can be whittled down to reduce the amount of time he will miss.
A four-match suspension would rule Farrell out of England’s first two World Cup matches, against Argentina and Japan.
“England fly half, Owen Farrell will attend an independent disciplinary hearing after he received a red card for an act of foul play in the Summer Nations Series match between England and Wales on Saturday 12th August 2023,” read a statement from the Six Nations, managing the World Cup warm-up disciplinary process.
“The player will attend a hearing via video conference before an independent Judicial Committee consisting of Adam Casselden SC – Chair (Australia), joined by former international John Langford (Australia) and former international David Croft (Australia).
Anxious wait: Owen Farrell is set to miss the start of England’s World Cup campaign in France
/ Getty Images“The hearing will take place on Tuesday, August 15.”
Farrell has already served a ban this year after a citing for a high tackle in Saracens January 6 win at Gloucester.
The England skipper attended World Rugby’s tackle school coaching programme to reduce his ban from four to three matches.
He cannot repeat that process, so his main route to leniency now appears to be through an early admittance of guilt.
If the disciplinary panel takes a dim view of Farrell’s prior record however, especially in regard to his earlier high-tackle suspension this year, then he could be facing a longer absence.
