- Vunipola arrived again within the UK with team-mates with uncertainty over his future
- He was Tasered twice in a bar, restrained and strapped to a mattress in hospital
- Itoje, in the meantime, was proven a yellow card for making head-on-head contact
Saracens have been hit by one other blow after Billy Vunipola’s arrest in Majorca with the information his team-mate Maro Itoje is going through a attainable ban for harmful tackling.
Vunipola’s profession was plunged into doubt on Monday as he flew residence from a Saracens journey to Europe after being Tasered by police for resisting arrest and assaulting an officer.
The 31-year-old England No 8 arrived at Stansted Airport with team-mates amid a membership investigation into the occasions which led to him being Tasered twice in a bar in Palma within the early hours of Sunday. A drunk, shirtless Vunipola was restrained and brought to hospital, the place he needed to be strapped to a mattress.
He went on to face an ‘specific’ trial in court docket, the place he was fined €240 (£205) and handed a suspended four-month jail sentence.
The incident is one which has the potential to derail Saracens’ bid to defend their Gallagher Premiership title.
Billy Vunipola’s Saracens have been hit by one other main blow following the No 8’s arrest
Vunipola has landed again within the UK with uncertainty over his future after being Tasered twice
Itoje, in the meantime, may very well be banned for his facet’s subsequent few video games after a head-on-head contact sort out towards Bathtub
Mark McCall’s males are second within the desk after a 15-12 win at Bathtub final Friday.
Vunipola’s quick membership future with Saracens is unclear. He’s scheduled to affix French facet Montpellier on the finish of the season. However there may be now a really actual probability each he and Itoje will miss essential fixtures within the English league run-in.
Itoje was proven a yellow card for a excessive sort out on Bathtub’s Alfie Barbeary at The Rec. Itoje made head-on-head contact with Barbeary.
Referee Luke Pearce confirmed the England lock a yellow card and never a purple, leaving him to face 10 minutes within the sin bin and never a everlasting dismissal.
That appeared the top of the matter however on Tuesday, the Rugby Soccer Union confirmed Itoje had been cited for harmful tackling for the Barbeary incident.
He’ll face an impartial disciplinary panel on Tuesday and whether it is determined Itoje is responsible, he faces a attainable ban prone to be within the area of two to a few matches.
Itoje will face an impartial disciplinary panel on Tuesday and faces a attainable ban of as much as three matches
Such a state of affairs would imply he would miss Saracens’ closing two video games of the common Premiership season away at Bristol and at residence to Sale.
Whereas Saracens are in a very good place to complete within the high 4 and safe a house Premiership semi-final, going with out Itoje within the run-in can be a blow.
Simply 4 factors separate McCall’s facet in second and Sale in sixth.