Owen Farrell could be hit with a ban if a high tackle he made during Saracen’s dramatic last-gasp win against Gloucester is cited.
Saracens claimed a 19-16 win against Gloucester at Kingsholm Stadium thanks to Farrell, as the England stalwart slotted a drop goal from over 40 metres out in the last play of the game.
It could certainly be argued that Farrell shouldn’t have been on the pitch however, as the Saracens skipper made a high tackle on Gloucester’s Jack Clement with just a few minutes remaining.
Farrell’s shoulder made contact with the jaw of Clement as the Gloucester flanker picked and went from the base of a ruck, with BT Sport commentator Austin Healey exclaiming that the challenge warranted a red card upon seeing the replay.
TMO Claire Hodnett alerted on-field referee Karl Dickson of the tackle, although it wasn’t officially reviewed despite replays being shown by the broadcaster, and Farrell remained on the pitch to score the winning drop goal.
We probably haven’t heard the last of this one 👀#GallagherPrem pic.twitter.com/7DIsJiwCp8
— Rugby on BT Sport (@btsportrugby) January 6, 2023
The Six Nations is just around the corner.
Farrell could be hit with a ban if the incident is picked up by the citing commissioner, which would see him miss some crucial upcoming matches for Saracens.
Saracens are in action in the Heineken Champions Cup over the next two weekends against Lyon and Edinburgh, where they will be well aware that every point is crucial.
The North London club are likely to qualify for the knock out stages having won their first two fixtures, but Saracens will need two more wins to guarantee a home game in the last 16.
Meanwhile, new England head coach Steve Borthwick will be hoping that Farrell is banned for no more than three games, as the Six Nations kicks off in four weeks’ time.
A three-week ban would be standard for the kind of tackle Farrell is guilty of, but his history of high tackles could work against him.
Read More About: owen farrell, saracens
