Dylan Hartley in danger of missing World Cup as England and Northampton hooker faces hearing for headbutting Jamie George

Dylan Hartley was reported for headbutting Jamie George on Saturday
Northampton lost to Saracens in Aviva Premiership play-off semi-final
Hartley has an appalling disciplinary record and could miss the World Cup
29-year-old will appear before RFU disciplinary hearing on Wednesday

Published:
15:24 GMT, 26 May 2015

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Updated:
21:52 GMT, 26 May 2015

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Dylan Hartley’s World Cup dream is under threat after he was cited for headbutting Saracens rival Jamie George during Saturday’s Aviva Premiership semi-final.

The 29-year-old hooker faces an RFU panel over the incident in the 57th minute of his side’s defeat, when he clashed with George seconds after Saints flanker Tom Wood had crashed over for a try.

The flare-up was referred to the television match official by referee Greg Garner. No action was taken but the match citing commissioner deemed it worthy of a full citing after reviewing it.

Dylan Hartley will face a RFU disciplinary hearing after he was reported for headbutting an opponent

Hartley has an appalling disciplinary record and will sit in front of a three-man panel on Wednesday

If Hartley is banned he could miss out on the World Cup with England this summer

Hartley, whose appalling disciplinary record has seriously threatened his international prospects in the past, faces a minimum four-week ban if found guilty and his history will count against him.

With Northampton’s season over, a ban would not begin until England’s World Cup warm-up programme begins in mid-August. Their World Cup opener is against Fiji on September 18.

Dylan Hartley’s disciplinary record

April 2007 – banned for 26 weeks after being cited for eye-gouging Wasps forwards James Haskell and Jonny O’Connor.

March 2012 – received an eight-week suspension after being cited for biting Ireland forward Stephen Ferris’ finger while playing for England in a Six Nations game.

December 2012 – banned for two weeks after being cited for punching Ulster hooker Rory Best during a Heineken Cup match.

May 2013 – sent off for verbally abusing referee Wayne Barnes during the Aviva Premiership final against Leicester at Twickenham. Received an 11-week suspension that sidelined him for the British and Irish Lions tour to Australia which he had been selected for.

December 2014 – sent off for elbowing Leicester centre Matt Smith in the face. Banned for three weeks.

The news that one of his most highly prized players is under the disciplinary spotlight yet again will deeply frustrate England coach Stuart Lancaster.

Less than a fortnight ago, Lancaster showed he will not tolerate ill-discipline from his squad by telling Leicester centre Manu Tuilagi he would not be considered for selection until January 2016 at the earliest after he pleaded guilty to assaulting two female police officers and a taxi driver during a drunken night out.

While Hartley’s alleged offence is not in the same league, Lancaster’s patience will be severely stretched after reprieving his first-choice hooker on countless previous occasions.

The 66-cap star was sent off in December when he elbowed Leicester’s Matt Smith in the face having previously been told he was in the ‘last-chance saloon’ in terms of a disciplinary record that stretches to a total of 50 weeks of bans in an 11-year professional career.

He received a three-week ban for that but, with his value at the set-piece apparently placed ahead of his threat to the team’s disciplinary record, he was selected for England’s Six Nations campaign.

Arguably of greatest concern for Lancaster and his coaching team, who have remained steadfastly loyal to a player whose on-field performances this season have not necessarily warranted it, is the apparent trend for bad behaviour when the stakes are at their highest — and they do not get any higher than a home World Cup.

Stuart Lancaster has already ruled Manu Tuilagi out of his plans for the World Cup for poor discipline

The Northampton Saints hooker looks disappointed as he walks off following the defeat by Saracens

Coincidentally, it would be Saracens hooker George who would be in line to benefit for any disciplinary action England may take, with many considering him extremely unlucky to have been left out of the 50-man training squad which Lancaster named last week.

Hartley will find out his fate on Wednesday night when he gives evidence to a three-person RFU panel in Coventry, which will include RFU legal representatives Mike Hamlin and Tony Wheat and will be chaired by Judge Sean Enright.