Guinness Prem - Saints withdraw Hartley appeal
Eurosport - Wed, 09 May 21:03:59 2007
Guinness Prem - Northampton have withdrawn their appeal against the 26-week suspension of hooker Dylan Hartley.
The appeal was due to be heard on Thursday but the Saints have accepted the punishment that sees England-hopeful Hartley banned until October 17.
Hartley was handed the ban by an independant disciplinary committee for two counts of eye-gouging in the Saints' league clash with Wasps last month.
The 21-year-old has already missed the European Cup semi-final loss with Wasps and last weekend's league victory against London irish.
He will now miss England's tour to South Africa later this month and is unavailable for the World Cup as the ban comes to an end just three days before the Paris final.
With the retirement through injury of Northampton's World Cup winner Steve Thompson, the New Zealand-borh Hartley had become first-choice hooker at Franklin's Gardens.
He was also favourite to wear the number two shirt on the South Africa tour as Leicester's George Chuter and Lee Mears of Bath are unavailable for the tour due to their club's European commitments.
The suspension is thought to be the longest handed out to a top-flight English player since Kevin Yates landed a six-month ban for biting in 1998.
Despite beating London Irish on Saturday, Northampton were relegated to National Division One and it remains to be seen which of their players will stay with the club next season.
