Clermont 24 Northampton Saints 7: Dylan Hartley facing potential citing after 'reckless' strike

Dylan Hartley faces an anxious wait to discover if he faces a potential citing ahead of Eddie Jones’s squad announcement next week after the England captain was shown a yellow card for a “reckless” strike during Northampton’s Champions Cup defeat against Clermont Auvergne on Saturday night.

The defeat all but ends Northampton’s hopes of reaching the knock-out stages following their heavy opening round defeat by Saracens and Hartley will hope it does not come at a further cost after he was sent to the sin bin in the first half for making contact with the head of Clermont tighthead prop Rabah Slimani as he attempted to clear out a ruck.

The collision was reviewed by the television match official and referee Ben Whitehouse determined , which left Slimani with a bleeding nose, was a yellow card offence but was "reckless but not intentional".

However citing commissioner Douglas Hunter, from Scotland, still has 50 hours from the 3.15pm (UK time) kick-off to decide whether or not to cite Hartley if he feels the sanction should have been a red card.

Television reviews appear to show that Hartley’s action was not intentional but he could be at risk because of World Rugby’ directive that there should be zero tolerance on head injuries.  The entry level for a striking is two weeks.

Hartley received a six-week ban last December for striking Leinster flanker Sean O’Brien in a Champions Cup match, which took career total to 60 weeks.

Clermont were deciding last night whether or not to cite Hartley themselves with head coach Franck Azéma saying he could not make a decision until he had reviewed the incident again on video.

Jim Mallinder, Northampton’s director of rugby, admitted Hartley had been wrong to go off his feet in his attempted clear-out but insisted it was not a red card offence and possibly not even a yellow.

“When you come to a place like this, when you are playing top level rugby but have got to be physical in your clear-outs but you have got to stay on your feet,” said Mallinder.

“You can’t go diving off your feet and I think Dylan needed to stay up there instead of going off the ground. “There was no intention, he was clearing out and should have stayed on his feet.”

Slimani could also find himself in trouble as he was sent to the sin bin in the second half for a shoulder charge on Hartley while Clermont’s bonus-point victory came at a heavy price, with France fly-half Camille Lopez, suffering a horrendous injury that has ruled him out of action for a minimum of five months with a broken left leg.

Lopez could be heard screaming after his leg was trapped between his opposite number Piers Francis in the first half and the game had to be stopped for eight minutes before he was taken off in a stretcher.

Lopez will miss all of France’s autumn campaign and is also likely to miss the start of the Six Nations Championship.

The disruption however had little impact on Clermont’s ability to close out the bonus-point victory, with his replacement Charlie Cassang, scoring two tries either side of half-time to put the French Top 14 side in control.

Indeed Cassang went over for his second try at the start of the second half to open up a 19-point lead it looked as if Clermont were posed to inflict another rout on Mallinder’s side.

Yet despite the hostile environment, they dug in and enjoyed the lion’s share of the second half possession, with a try by Christian Day giving brief hope that the game could be salvaged.

Northampton’s lack of ruthless in finishing was their undoing however and Clermont were able to clinch the bonus point when Remi Lamerat cuts through and after Fritz Lee had gone close and replacement prop Etienne Falgoux went over for the fourth try.

Mallinder however claimed his side showed enough character to suggest they had not given up hope of qualifying, with back-to-back games against the Ospreys in December.

“We always knew it would be difficult when we got the draw,” Mallinder added. “I am very proud of the lads. They really fronted up. Attacking-wise we were good, we got over the advantage line, we made lots of breaks, defensively we improved from last week.

“There was some real heart, some real pride, some real passion – we will take that. We need to be a bit more accurate and we need to shore up our scrum and if we can do that we can compete with the best teams in Europe.”

Mallinder will first have to address problems at the Northampton scrum, with Saints tight-head prop Jamal Ford-Robinson enduring a tough debut.

It took a last-gasp tackle by Teimana Harrison on Clermont centre Remi Lamerat to prevent a try as early as the third minute. Yet Clermont would not be denied. After two five-metre scrums, Northampton were shunted over the line and Fritz Lee was able to control the ball to successfully ground it.

Clermont did not lot have it all their own way, with Api Ratuniyarawa and Courtney Lawes carrying strongly at times, but Northampton were unable to make their pressure count.

Hartley was denied a try when the television match official adjudged that a Northampton forward had illegally knocked out of his hand from a line-out maul and moments later Ben Foden was penalised for holding on just a metre short after hitting a strong line.

A sniping try by Cassang just before half-time put Clermont in control and when he collected Parra’s high ball to run in his second from 50 metres, Northampton appeared down and out.

Lawes, who was magnificent again, spearheaded the English club’s resistance however but despite salvaging some pride, after two rounds there are without any points and have it all to do.

5:22PM

Full-time | Clermont 24-7 Northampton Saints

Parra chips into touch and that's the game. 

5:21PM

Clermont 24-7 Northampton Saints, 79 minutes 

Saints are mauling from a lineout in pursuit of a consolation....it's held up. Scrum to Clermont.

5:18PM

Clermont 24-7 Northampton Saints, 77 minutes 

Courtney Lawes just keeps going. He punctures Clermont with another carry but it's the hosts' 22 drop-out when Piers Francis grubbers into the dead-ball area and Scott Spedding dots down.

5:15PM

Clermont 24-7 Northampton Saints, 73 minutes

Another view on Ben Whitehouse's performance:

5:09PM

Clermont 24-7 Northampton Saints, 69 minutes

5:06PM

Try, Etienne Falgoux! Clermont 24-7 Northampton Saints, 65 minutes

Game over. Bonus point for Clermont, too. Remi Lamerat cuts through and Clermont are clinical close to the line. Fritz Lee shunts close and replacement prop Falgoux makes sure.

5:01PM

Clermont 19-7 Northampton Saints, 62 minutes   

Now Lawes spills with the Clermont line at his mercy! Clermont win a penalty at the ensuing scrum.

4:59PM

Yellow card, Rabah Slimani! 

This is deteriorating yet further. Slimani ran into the ruck and hit Hartley - deliberately - with a shoulder to the head. He's off for 10 minutes.

4:56PM

Yellow card, Kieran Brookes!

That could be Northampton's challenge extinguished. Brookes ships another scrum penalty and Whitehouse sends him to the bin.

4:55PM

Clermont 19-7 Northampton Saints, 58 minutes  

More frustration from Saints. They bang and bang at the door but then Luther Burrell spills. Scrum to Clermont five metres from their line.

4:52PM

No surrender

 Luther Burrell is back on too...

4:51PM

Clermont 19-7 Northampton Saints, 54 minutes 

Tom Wood charges down Cassang and Saints have another big chance! Nick Abendanon charges in to spoil the chance from an offside position. Mallinder kicks to the corner...

4:49PM

Clermont 19-7 Northampton Saints, 53 minutes

Frustration for Saints. Again they are sparked by Harrison and Lawes but Nic Groom makes a poor decision to attack the blindside and Christian Day carries into touch five metres out.

4:46PM

Match action

Here is Cassang's second try. He showed great speed endurance to get over from long range.

4:44PM

Try, Christian Day! Clermont 19-7 Northampton Saints, 47 minutes

Northampton maul over and a melee breaks out! It's only pushing and shoving but Ben Whitehouse has totally lost control. 

After some more posturing from the referee, the try stands. Harry Mallinder kicks the conversion. They're still in this.

4:41PM

Clermont 19-0 Northampton Saints, 47 minutes

Saints are not giving this up. They go through the phases, with Teimana Harrison and Courtney Lawes carrying strongly. They are lucky to keep the ball when a pass goes to ground but they eventually force a penalty and go to the corner...

4:35PM

Try, Charlie Cassang! Clermont 19-0 Northampton Saints, 41 minutes

Ah. That's really weak from Nic Groom, unfortunately. Morgan Parra hoists a box-kick and Cassang claims the ball to sprint 60 metres. Parra's conversion misses but that's a sucker-punch for Saints.

4:32PM

Second half

It sounds crazy, but if Saints score first they could get something out of this game. We're underway again. Dylan Hartley is back with us.

4:27PM

Match action

Dylan Hartley was extremely unlucky to see yellow.

4:22PM

Understatement

4:19PM

Half-time | Clermont 14-0 Northampton

What a bizarre half. Saints have done really well to stay this close and could even be level. Dylan Hartley's return should allow them to rally. It's not over.

4:17PM

Try, Charlie Cassang! Clermont 14-0 Northampton Saints, 39 minutes

Clermont make their two-man advantage pay. Eventually some space opens up around the fringes and Cassang scampers through. Parra converts and that is half-time.

4:14PM

Diplomatic

4:14PM

Clermont 7-0 Northampton Saints, 36 minutes         

Farcical. Northampton's Mikey Haywood - on during Dylan Hartley's sin bin - needs to leave the field for a blood replacement. 

That means there is no hooker, so we are going to uncontested scrums...and Saints need to bring on a replacement front-rower too.

4:08PM

Clermont 7-0 Northampton Saints, 35 minutes        

Another scrum penalty for Clermont. Whitehouse warns Lawes - Saints' stand-in skipper - that he will go to a yellow at the next set-piece offence. 

Parra goes to the corner...

4:06PM

Clermont 7-0 Northampton Saints, 34 minutes       

Morgan Parra is back on. Eesh. 

4:04PM

Match action

This has been an excellent effort from Northampton so far.

4:02PM

Yellow card, Dylan Hartley!

A really tough one. Hartley steamed in to a ruck and make contact with Rabah Slimani by accident. After a TMO-check, Whitehouse rules that the contact was "reckless but not intentional". It's a sin-binning.

3:59PM

Clermont 7-0 Northampton Saints, 29 minutes      

Ben Foden goes so close! Remi Lamerat makes the tackle and gets over the ball. There was no release there, but Ben Whitehouse gives Clermont the penalty and they clear. 

3:55PM

Clermont 7-0 Northampton Saints, 26 minutes     

Parra has been knocked unconscious now. Scott Spedding is on in his stead. We should watch to see if Clermont try to bring Parra back...

3:54PM

Clermont 7-0 Northampton Saints, 25 minutes    

No try. Courtney Lawes fought through a Clermont maul and disrupted the ball. Dylan Hartley pounced on the loose ball to score, but Ben Whitehouse adjudges that Lawes deliberately knocked the ball on.

3:52PM

Clermont 7-0 Northampton Saints, 24 minutes   

We are going to the TMO for a potential Saints try out of nowhere...

3:49PM

Horrible scenes for Lopez

That leaves a big hole for Clermont and for France.

3:44PM

Clermont 7-0 Northampton Saints, 22 minutes  

Oh no. Serious injury here to Camille Lopez. He's twisted awkwardly in the tackle and has badly injured his left leg. Play was stopped immediately by referee Ben Whitehouse, who deserves credit.

Charlie Cassang is on. He's a scrum-half, so Morgan Parra will be shifting out to fly-half.

3:39PM

Match action

Courtney Lawes' outstanding form is continuing this afternoon.

3:36PM

Clermont 7-0 Northampton Saints, 20 minutes 

Clermont recover to hold up a Saints carrier, so they'll have the scrum.

"Stay here, stay here" says Dylan Hartley. He's started extremely well.

3:35PM

Clermont 7-0 Northampton Saints, 19 minutes

Harry Mallinder sparks a counter with a burst and an offload. Jamal Ford-Roobinson trundles into the Clermont 22 and suddenly Saints are within five metres!

3:31PM

Clermont 7-0 Northampton Saints , 13 minutes

Saints are giving it a crack with ball in hand. Here's Nafi Tuitavake carrying hard.

3:28PM

Clermont 7-0 Northampton Saints , 9 minutes

That's the first sighting of Clermont Alvareti Raka, who bursts through midfield and wins a penalty for his team as a Saints tackler fails to roll away.

The hosts go to touch and there is a little chip from Parra. Nic Groom collects the ball and is tackled in the air. Respite for Saints, who kick to touch.

3:26PM

Our man in Clermont...

...is Gavin Mairs.

3:23PM

Try, Fritz Lee! Clermont 7-0 Northampton, 5 minutes

At the third re-set, the Clermont scrum is too powerful. Dylan Hartley's pack is shunted back. Lee controls with his feet and dives over.

Morgan Parra's conversion is perfect.

3:22PM

Granted...

3:21PM

Clermont 0-0 Northampton Saints, 4 minutes

Northampton give up a free-kick at the scrum and Clermont's first  possession is devastating. Morgan Parra direct proceedings with monster runners flooding off him and Remi Lamerat is held up over the line. Five-metre scrum to the hosts.

3:17PM

Kick-off

Referee Ben Whitehouse blows his whistle. We're underway. It's loud. Saints recover the kick-off and are into their phase-play nicely.

3:15PM

Atmosphere building

What a place this is.

 Here come the players.

3:11PM

Injured scrum-half Greig Laidlaw

3:08PM

Jim Mallinder

3:06PM

Teams

Here's a reminder of Clermont's line-up...

 ...and a look at what Clermont are working with:

 There has been a change to the above 23, actually. David Strettle is out with Nick Abendanon replacing him. Scott Speeding moves onto the bench.

2:58PM

Fifteen minutes until kick-off

It's worth highlighting that, bar two thrashings at the hands of Saracens, Saints have gone very well this season. It's easy to forget that, but they'll have to be brilliant to get something out of this afternoon.

2:53PM

Last time out

Read this through your fingers - or ignore it entirely - if you are a Saints fan. Here's a reminder of how Northampton began the Champions Cup. Holders Saracens were in a rare mood.

2:49PM

Toss up

Dylan Hartley and Morgan Parra are the skippers this afternoon.

2:44PM

Good afternoon

Next up on our live-blogging weekend operation is Northampton's trip to Clermont. On the back of their 57-13 humbling against champions Saracens, Jim Mallinder's men now get to face last season's runners-up.

It's not getting much easier for Saints.