Joe Marler given six-week ban to rule England prop out of Six Nations matches with Italy and Wales

Joe Marler will miss England’s Six Nations matches against Italy and Wales next month after being given a six-week ban for the red card that he received during Harlequins’ Premiership defeat at Sale Sharks on Saturday.

Marler was sent off by referee Matthew Carley during Quins’ 30-29 defeat and has pleaded guilty to striking replacement flanker TJ Ioane in the head with his shoulder, with the Sale forward attempting to move away from a ruck and not contesting the ball at the time of impact.

Appearing at a disciplinary hearing in London on Tuesday, Marler admitted the charge and, due to his shoulder striking Ioane’s head, a mid-entry point suspension was deemed necessary as per the Rugby Football Union’s disciplinary regulations, resulting in at least a six-week suspension.

However, given Marler’s poor disciplinary record, an additional week was added to the ban, before a reduction of one week was applied due to the prop’s “plea, his conduct since the incident took place and other personal mitigation”, confirmed panel chairman Philip Evans QC.

The incident is the third blemish on Marler’s record this season, having been reprimanded in September for grappling with England teammate James Haskell – ripping his scrum-cap off in the process – and spraying water in the Wasps forward’s face, before being banned for three weeks after striking Will Rowlands with his elbow in a clash European clash against the same club the following month.

As a result of the ban two-and-a-half months ago, Marler missed the opening autumn international against Argentina, and is now set to miss at least the first two games of the Six Nations championship next month, in which England are bidding to claim an unprecedented third consecutive outright title. Once available, Marler will face an uncertain wait to see whether head coach Eddie Jones brings him straight back into the international fold, although he has previously stated that ill-discipline by his players at club level is not his concern.

The suspension means that Jones will have just one capped loosehead prop available in the form of Mako Vunipola, given that both Leicester Tigers’ Ellis Genge and Matt Mullan of Wasps are currently sidelined with shoulder and arm injuries respectively, with neither expected to recover in time for England’s opening Six Nations clash against Italy in four weeks’ time.

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In Marler’s absence, Bath’s uncapped prop Beno Obano is likely to be retained by Jones after featuring in a two-day training camp in Brighton at the start of the month and could well find himself in the match-day squad to face Italy in Rome on 4 February, while Sale’s Ross Harison could also benefit from the ban after being called up to an England training squad last year.

Marler meanwhile will be eligible to return for England’s third Six Nations encounter when they travel to Edinburgh to face Scotland on 24 February, before the Red Rose wrap up their campaign with a trip to France and the visit of Ireland to Twickenham on 17 March.

Ioane meanwhile was cited for a separate incident involving Marler five minutes before the England prop’s dismissal, to which he pleaded guilty to striking him with his arm while in a ruck. The Sale back-row has been banned for two weeks and will miss their final European Challenge Cup games against Lyon and Toulouse.