Hefty ban is given to Worcester's red-carded Chris Ashton with lesser suspensions for Bath duo Tom Dunn and Will Muir
Former England international Chris Ashton will miss the majority of the remaining 2020/21 Gallagher Premiership season after he copped a lengthy ban following his red card while playing for Worcester in last weekend’s defeat to Northampton. Bath pair Tom Dunn and Will Muir will also be absent for the next while after they were banned following a respective red card and a citing versus London Irish.
Ashton, the 34-year-old capped 44 times by England, was making his fourth appearance for Worcester since joining them from Harlequins in January when he was shown the red card by referee Andrew Jackson in the 49th minute of the match versus Saints at Sixways.
The winger contested the charge but it was upheld by the independent disciplinary panel comprising Gareth Graham (chair) with Sean Enright and Tony Wheat. They gave Ashton a six-week suspension, leaving him free to play again for Worcester on June 1.
An independent panel statement read: “The player accepted that he had committed an act of foul play but challenged the red card on the basis that he had not made direct contact to the head of his opponent. Any player choosing to contest a red card must prove on the balance of probabilities that the referee’s decision to award a red card was wrong.
“The panel took account of all the evidence with which it had been provided and could not be satisfied that the referee’s decision had been wrong. The referee had concluded that the player had committed an act of dangerous play in a ruck or maul that passed the red card threshold, which involved contact to the head/neck area. Such an offence carries with it a minimum mid-range entry point of six weeks.
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“The player does not have a good disciplinary record and the panel increased the sanction by one week to take account of this aggravating factor. The player had not accepted the charge. There was some limited mitigation present, including the positive way in which the player engaged with the hearing.
“The panel concluded that a reduction to the entry point of one week on account of the mitigation that was present was proportionate in all the circumstances of the case. The player is therefore suspended for a period of six weeks.”
This Worcester ban for Ashton is a week longer than the combined suspensions for current England hooker Dunn, who was shown a red card by referee Craig Maxwell-Keys in the 61st minute of Bath’s loss at London Irish for striking with the elbow, and Muir, who was cited by independent citing commissioner Duncan Bell for tackling Rob Simmons.
Dunn and Muir accepted the charges against them and were given respective three and two-week suspensions by the independent disciplinary panel comprising Enright (chair) with Graham and Mitch Read. Each player’s free to play date is dependent on Bath confirmed fixture list.
A statement on the Dunn case read: “The panel had the benefit of written submissions from the player and the RFU in advance of the hearing. Considered alongside the video footage, the panel assessed the entry point as mid-range.
“This was not an intentional strike with the elbow and there had been a limited effect on the London Irish player who had been able to continue the game. The player has one matter on his disciplinary record from 2013 but the panel did not consider that this should prevent him from receiving the full mitigation available in light of his early guilty plea, his apology and the manner in which he engaged with the hearing process.
“He is suspended for three weeks which will include three meaningful fixtures subject to Bath’s progress in the EPCR Challenge Cup.”
The statement concerning the Muir hearing stated: “The panel accepted that this was a clumsy, reckless action by the player but one which resulted in the London Irish player landing in a dangerous position. For that reason, the player accepted the citing and agreed that it merited a red card.
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“London Irish confirmed that their player experienced soreness but that he was able to play on and train and normal. The panel considered this to be at the low end of entry points which carries a four-week starting point.
“There are no aggravating features and the player was entitled to the full mitigation on account of his acceptance of the charge, clear record and other mitigation factors. He is suspended for two weeks which will cover two meaningful fixtures and will be subject to Bath’s progress in the EPCR Challenge Cup.”
ASHTON’S MISSING WORCESTER MATCHES
April 10 v Bristol (friendly)
April 17 v Harlequins
April 24 v Sale
May 8 v Exeter
May 15 v Wasps
May 28/29/30 v Leicester
June 4/5/6 v Newcastle*
*To be included if there is any change to the friendly fixture v Bristol on April 10.
DUNN’S MISSING BATH MATCHES
April 2 v Zebre (Challenge Cup)
April 9/10/11 v TBC (European Challenge Cup quarter-final, if applicable)
April 18 v Leicester
April 25 v Wasps”
*To be included if Bath don’t make the European Challenge Cup quarter-final
MUIR’S MISSING BATH MATCHES
April 2 v Zebre (Challenge Cup)
April 9/10/11 v TBC (European Challenge Cup quarter-final, if applicable)
April 18 v Leicester*
*To be included if Bath don’t make the European Challenge Cup quarter-final
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Comments on RugbyPass
Ben Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
86 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
3 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to comments