England’s Owen Farrell will be available for the opening match of the 2023 Six Nations despite being handed a four-week suspension for a dangerous tackle.
Farrell is set to be a key part of England’s charge in the championship under new coach Steve Borthwick, but was a doubt for their opener on Feb. 4 against Scotland after facing an RFU disciplinary.
Farrell, 31, was cited for making contact with Gloucester player Jack Clement’s head in Saracens’ 19-16 win on Friday evening. The incident was missed during the game by referee Karl Dickson, and Farrell went on to kick the match-winning drop-goal late on.
He faced the RFU panel on Tuesday and they deemed it a mid-range red card offence and handed Farrell a four-week suspension. This would be reduced to three weeks if Farrell completes the “World Rugby Coaching Intervention Programme.”
This is not the first time Farrell has been in the spotlight for his tackling technique. He was handed a five-week suspension in 2020 for an illegal hit on Charlie Atkinson in a Saracens-Wasps match.
The news will be positive for Borthwick with the new England coach already dealing with a growing list of absentees. Exeter hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie is set to miss the majority of the championship as he requires surgery on an ankle injury picked up at the weekend.
England are also waiting on the fitness of their other premier fly-halves. George Ford is set to make his comeback from injury for Sale against Bath on Jan. 27 having missed the last seven months with a ruptured Achilles. Marcus Smith injured his ankle in England’s final match of the autumn series against South Africa in November, and is expected back within the next fortnight for Harlequins. But both will head into the Six Nations short of match action.