France fly-half Romain Ntamack will miss Saturday’s Six Nations match against England through suspension.
An independent disciplinary committee on Wednesday upheld the red card Ntamack received for a shoulder-to-head tackle during France’s tournament-opening 43-0 victory over Wales.
The committee decided the mid-range entry point of a six-week/match ban was appropriate but applied a 50 per cent reduction in light of Ntamack admitting he committed an act of foul play, and after considering his exemplary disciplinary record.
What currently stands as a three-week/match ban could be reduced by a further week/match if Ntamack completes World Rugby’s Coaching Intervention Programme.
The Six Nations’ statement announcing the suspension confirmed Ntamack would miss Saturday’s clash at Allianz Stadium but did not make clear whether he would be allowed to return for France’s trip to Italy on February 23, which follows a weekend break in the tournament.
The absence of the Rome fixture from the stated list of matches Ntamack will miss suggested that his club side Toulouse’s match against Clermont Auvergne on February 16 will be allowed to count as the second of two matches he would be banned for if he were to complete the World Rugby course.
It is highly unlikely Ntamack would have played for Toulouse during the Six Nations rest week, but past precedent has allowed teams to take advantage of the loophole, with England taking advantage of it to fast-track Owen Farrell back to action in 2023.
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Matthieu Jalibert appears to be in contention to make a remarkable return to the French side in Ntamack’s place, just months after walking out on the squad in November after a fall-out with head coach Fabien Galthie.
Both France and England are expected to name their line-ups on Thursday for the highly-anticipated encounter.
England are seeking to bounce back after their 27-22 opening-weekend loss to defending champions Ireland in Dublin.
The hosts are set to make a change at fly-half out of choice, with Fin Smith expected to replace Marcus Smith at No 10, with the latter switching to full-back as head coach Steve Borthwick increases his playmaking options.
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