Chris Ashton looks certain to be banned for England’s opening autumn Test against Fiji, writes Chris Jones.
The Saracens wing will appear before a Rugby Football Union disciplinary hearing in London tonight after receiving three yellow cards for foul play this season.
He faces being suspended for one match which would open the way for Gloucester’s Charlie Sharples to appear on the right wing in the match at Twickenham a week on Saturday.
Ashton received a post-match Level One citing — treated in the regulations as a yellow card for the totting up system — for a dangerous tackle on Vasily Artemyev in last Saturday’s match at Northampton, which Sarries won 16-6.
Ashton left the Saints in the summer and received a rough ride from home fans at Franklins Gardens.
Despite Sarries facing London Wasps this weekend, the Fiji game would count as the missed match as Ashton was not one of the England players released back to their clubs last night by head coach Stuart Lancaster.
Earlier this season, Ashton was shown yellow cards for dangerous charging in the matches against London Irish on September 1 and again against Exeter Chiefs three weeks later.
