For those who have used up their one free Times article this week, here's the full piece:
England prop Joe Marler won’t miss a game despite long ban for Six Nations grope
exclusive
Alex Lowe, Deputy Rugby Correspondent
Saturday April 25 2020, 12.01am, The Times
Six Nations 2020
Rugby Union
Joe Marler will be free to play when the rugby season resumes, after a secret Six Nations disciplinary review permitted the England prop to serve his full ten-week ban without missing a match.
Marler was found guilty of “squeezing” Alun Wyn Jones, the Wales captain, by the genitals in England’s 33-30 victory at Twickenham on March 7 and was suspended until June 8.
Manu Tuilagi, the England centre, received a four-week ban after he was sent off for a dangerous tackle on George North in the same game.
The Times has learnt that David Hurley, who was chairman of the disciplinary panel in both cases, wrote to the Six Nations to open a review of the sanction decisions after the coronavirus crisis had put the rugby season on hold.
The disciplinary guidelines of World Rugby, the sport’s governing body, state that each week of a suspension must correspond to a meaningful match. Marler’s ban covered 12 weeks in duration, taking into account two weekends when he was not due to play.
The disciplinary panels heard arguments from both sides but concluded that they were not entitled under Six Nations rules to reconsider the sanctions, despite the change in playing schedule of the players and the committee’s own desire to impose bans that equated to meaningful matches.
Tuilagi’s ban therefore expired on April 14. With the Gallagher Premiership not slated to resume until June 27 at the earliest, Marler will have served his entire ban while on lockdown and without missing any fixtures.
The disciplinary panel that dealt with the case of Mohamed Haouas, the France prop sent off for punching Jamie Ritchie in his side’s defeat by Scotland at Murrayfield, took the opposite view. Haouas was banned for three weeks in a hearing held only two days before the French Rugby Federation (FFR) suspended all rugby indefinitely.
The Six Nations disciplinary officer requested a review of the sanction and the panel amended the terms of the ban so that it began once the season resumed, thereby applying the meaningful match definition. Haouas appealed against that decision and his challenge was upheld on Thursday without argument from the Six Nations, which is understood to have accepted the need for consistency. Haouas will therefore have also served his ban without suffering any playing disadvantage.
The Times can reveal that Jones, who had complained about Marler’s actions immediately after the match, declined to provide a written statement to be used as evidence.
Marler accepted his actions had been inappropriate but denied any intent to harm Jones, with whom he had a drink after the game. Jones had told him there was a “big fuss” over the incident. Marler said he intercepted Jones during a scuffle “to have a big laugh with him” and that he ended up “tickling” him in a way the Wales lock “would have been accustomed to in the past”.
The panel accepted the prosecution argument that Marler had squeezed Jones on three occasions and, while acknowledging there was no malice, concluded it was an act of foul play worthy of a red card.
Meanwhile, Sale Sharks have been handed a five-point deduction, suspended for two seasons, for signing Rohan Janse van Rensburg after the centre had agreed a deal with Gloucester.
Janse van Rensburg received a two-week ban, the dates of which will be confirmed once a decision has been made on resuming the season. The South African was also fined £32,500, £25,000 of which will repay money he had received from Gloucester.