England Training Squad

[ratsapprentice]

He deliberately made contact with his head off the ball... for a guy with his record that is definitely a ban-able offence.

 

[Every Time Ref]

From the two angles I've seen, I couldn't even say with confidence that the heads definitely made contact. I agree that it wasn't a wise thing for him to do, especially with his record, but I'm not convinced it should be a ban. Despite that, not-that-secretly I want him to be banned, I'd like to see him out the squad, preferably for good - so I hope you're right, but I don't think you are.

 

[ratsapprentice]

He definitely made contact.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

He deliberately made contact with his head off the ball... for a guy with his record that is definitely a ban-able offence.

He walks into George nothing more. He doesn't move his head into him, he moves his whole body.

I feel a witch hunt going on around here just coz Hartley is a bell end.

 

[ratsapprentice]

I feel a whole heap of defensive bias from you, conscious or otherwise.

 

[Peat]

And makes contact head to head.

I think most people here agree it's quite ridiculous but head to head contact does raise the question.

But yes, we are hoping something happens because Hartley is a bellend.

 

[ratsapprentice]

FWIW, I definitely wouldn't describe it as a headbutt.

 

[Peat]

Besides, it's not just Hartley being a bellend - it's Hartley once again demonstrating an inability to avoid doing stupid things in big matches, which should have got him chucked out of the England squad long ago, particularly given Lancaster's utterances on discipline.

 

[Wendigo7]

LCD time to step up

 

[chippieolamus]

George's time to step up

Ftfy

 

[Wendigo7]

Exciting week isn't it!

Worcester vs Bristol
Gloucester vs Bordeaux (Sixways will need to be in good nick this week)
Bath vs Saracens
England vs Barbarians

 

[Every Time Ref]

Besides, it's not just Hartley being a bellend - it's Hartley once again demonstrating an inability to avoid doing stupid things in big matches, which should have got him chucked out of the England squad long ago, particularly given Lancaster's utterances on discipline.

Perfect summary. Headbutt or not, bannable or not, it says nothing good about his ability to learn from his mistakes, control himself or just not be a dumb aggressive thug with no thought for the consequences

 

[ncurd]

Brizzle (be great to see them back in the Premiership)
Gloucester (it's them or the French)
Bath
England

Pretty good way to go for me but honestly I'll just happy if Bath win 150 years into their history.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Everyone's acting like he's done something idiotic in the last club game before a massive prestigious international series before......ah.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Does he have any suspended sentences?

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Lancaster will not do anything Hartley is one of his boys.

 

[j'nuh]

He walks into George nothing more. He doesn't move his head into him, he moves his whole body.

I feel a witch hunt going on around here just coz Hartley is a bell end.

I'm somewhere between you and rats. I think rats is right, he definitely makes some contact, but it also seems fairly tame/light to me, my first impressions are that it's not really worth a red/ban. But during the match if I'm the ref? I'm going to the TMO at least with the mind that it's a yellow, open to the chance it's a red.

Given his past conduct, it's absolutely mental that Hartley continues to put himself in these kind of positions. You would think getting a red card in the Premiership final, effectively losing your team the trophy and yourself a Lions place, would have had a profound-enough effect on you to stop the spats. I don't think there's a player in England that has as little self-control as he does. If England get knocked out in the World Cup because Hartley loses his cool, does something stupid, and gets himself a yellow/red, it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Lancaster will not do anything Hartley is one of his boys.

Agreed,
I think even if he does get a ban, as long as he's available for the opening night of the tournament he'll be there.

 

[ratsapprentice]

I'm somewhere between you and rats. I think rats is right, he definitely makes some contact, but it also seems fairly tame/light to me, my first impressions are that it's not really worth a red/ban.

I'm not saying it is worth a card or a ban, given what people get cards/bans for nowadays I wouldn't be in the least bit surprised if some citing officers/refs do though, which is what I mean by a ban-able offence.
And that's why it's a problem - as you agree.

 

[Every Time Ref]

I'm somewhere between you and rats. I think rats is right, he definitely makes some contact, but it also seems fairly tame/light to me, my first impressions are that it's not really worth a red/ban. But during the match if I'm the ref? I'm going to the TMO at least with the mind that it's a yellow, open to the chance it's a red.

Given his past conduct, it's absolutely mental that Hartley continues to put himself in these kind of positions. You would think getting a red card in the Premiership final, effectively losing your team the trophy and yourself a Lions place, would have had a profound-enough effect on you to stop the spats. I don't think there's a player in England that has as little self-control as he does. If England get knocked out in the World Cup because Hartley loses his cool, does something stupid, and gets himself a yellow/red, it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest.

I'd also say he's more likely to get sent off in a World Cup knockout game than a bog standard league match. He seems to "rise to the occasion" in the worst way possible