Forrester's England chances rocked by citing
James Forrester's England chances suffered a blow as he was called to appear before an RFU disciplinary tribunal charged with an offence which carries a minimum three-week ban.
The Gloucester No 8 is accused of kneeing Sale's fly half David Blair in Saturday's Guinness Premiership match.
His citing follows a review of video evidence of the incident, which has put Blair out of action for up to eight weeks with a double fracture of a bone in his back.
Forrester, restricted by injury to just two substitute appearances for his country, escaped a red or yellow card but is now in danger of falling foul of retrospective justice.
If found guilty, Forrester, 25, will almost certainly be denied the platform for a Six Nations challenge, in his case from the A International against Scotland on February 2.
French clubs, meanwhile, boycotted a European Rugby Cup meeting in Dublin yesterday, increasing fears they will withdraw from next season's Heineken Cup.
The clubs, like their English counterparts, want a more direct say in the running of Europe's foremost club competition.
English Premiership clubs, in dispute over a cut of the shareholding held by the RFU, failed to agree a deal at the meeting.
Sale head coach Kingsley Jones has dismissed suggestions his team would be better off losing to Calvisano this weekend, thus ending their interest in Europe and offering them some respite as they try to cope with a crippling run of injuries.
Jones said: "We'll be going to Calvisano looking for a bonus-point win and hoping Stade beat the Ospreys."
Neath-Swansea Ospreys appear to have problems of their own after centre Gavin Henson was pictured living it up while on a mid-season break in the French ski resort of Chamonix with girlfriend Charlotte Church.
While his club insist Henson is free to holiday where he sees fit, former Wales centre John Devereux said: "It's a big lack of judgment. He should know a lot better. If he wants to be a rugby player he's got to knuckle down."
