RUGBY: Saints struggle without hooker Hartley

Northampton’s misfiring European Champions Cup campaign received the worst possible news ahead of this weekend’s return match at Leinster with hooker Dylan Hartley banned for six weeks.

The 30-year-old New Zealand-born England skipper received the ban on Wednesday for striking Leinster flanker Sean O’Brien in last week’s crushing 37-10 defeat by the Irish province, and for which, he was shown a red card at the time. Saints coach Jim Mallinder said bluntly that Hartley had “let his side down”.

The hooker will be available for England’s first Six Nations game in 2017, having received support from RFU chairman Ian Ritchie despite having taken his weeks of suspension for foul play to 60 weeks.

More concerning for Northampton will be a daunting trip to Leinster, who sit atop Pool 4, with Montpellier taking on Castres in the other group game.

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