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• Dylan Hartley

Northampton Saints have lodged an appeal against Dylan Hartley's 26-week suspension for dangerous conduct.

Hartley was found guilty on two counts of eye-gouging during a Premiership game against Wasps 10 days ago, prompting an RFU disciplinary panel to suspend the hooker until October 17th.

The appeal will heard in London on May 3 and Hartley will not be selected until the matter is resolved, ruling the 21-year-old out of Saturday's crucial relegation-decider against London Irish.

The suspension arrives at a bad time for Hartley, whose form had been earning suggestions of a call-up to the England squad for this summer's tour of South Africa.

Any World Cup dreams are now in tatters for the hooker, unless Northampton can reverse the decision of an adamant RFU panel.

"Contact with an opponent's eyes is a serious offence because of the vulnerability of the area and risk of permanent injury," said RFU disciplinary officer Jeff Blackett.

"It is often the result of an insidious act and is one of the most abhorred by rugby players.

"Serious offences such as these - colloquially known as gouging - carry substantial punishment to protect players, deter others and remove culprits from the game to ensure they learn the appropriate lesson.

"The offence against James Haskell was at the top end entry point which carries a sanction of between 24 weeks and three years.

"We believe the appropriate entry point for this was 30 weeks, which we reduced to 26 after taking into account his good character, youth and inexperience.

"We upheld the citing for the offence against Jonny O'Connor, but adjudged that no further penalty was necessary."