The soon-to-retire Chris Ashton has been handed a dramatic Premiership reprieve after escaping a ban following his sending-off in Leicester’s final regular season game on Saturday. The former England winger has had his red card rescinded and is free to play with immediate effect.
Ashton, 36, was sent off for a dangerous tackle on Harlequins’ Cadan Murley which Leicester believed was only worthy of a yellow card. An independent disciplinary panel came to the same conclusion after a five-hour hearing, deciding the head contact had been indirect and did not involve a high degree of danger. Ashton admitted to an act of foul play but Murley testified to the panel that the initial contact was to his right shoulder rather than to his head.
It means Ashton is now eligible for the Premiership semi-final against Sale Sharks in Salford on Sunday, in addition to the final should Leicester make it to Twickenham. Having recently become the first player in history to score 100 Premiership tries, Ashton now has the opportunity to add to his tally.
It is the latest in a series of high-profile disciplinary U-turns which are further highlighting the slim margins under which players and referees are now required to operate. The panel chair, Gareth Graham, revealed Ashton’s case had also been bolstered by a number of camera angles unavailable to the match officials on the day.
“Mr Ashton accepted committing an act of foul play that would have merited a yellow card,” said Graham in a statement. “Having seen and heard all the evidence, including that of Mr Murley, who gave a clear account as to the point of contact and the level of force involved in the tackle, the panel agreed with the submission that this was a yellow-card offence.
“Having assessed all the evidence before it, including that of Mr Murley … the panel concluded there was indirect contact to the head and that any force to the head/neck was low. Consequently, the panel concluded there was not a high degree of danger and that the correct starting point under the head contact process was a yellow card. Therefore, the panel found the charge not proven.”
It represents yet another twist in an eventful career, during which Ashton also scored 20 tries in 44 Test appearances for England. Leicester can now include him in their back three for the Sale encounter but also have the all-international trio of Freddie Steward, Anthony Watson and Mike Brown available.
World Rugby’s council has rubber-stamped the election of the former Scotland forward John Jeffrey as vice-chairman of the game’s governing body, filling the vacancy caused by the resignation of France’s Bernard Laporte. It has also been confirmed that unions can introduce lower tackle height trials in the elite game as well as at community game level if they so wish.
The Rugby Players’ Association has announced the shortlist for the players’ player of the year, with Mateo Carreras, Ben Earl, Alex Mitchell, Tom Pearson and Jasper Wiese all nominated by their peers. The Exeter pair of Maisy Allen and Claudia MacDonald and Gloucester-Hartpury’s Natasha Hunt have all been shortlisted for the women’s Premier XVs player of the year award.
