England lock Charlie Ewels has been served a three-match ban after he was sent off just 82 seconds into Saturday's 32-15 Six Nations defeat against Ireland.
The Bath second-row was on the Twickenham turf for a little more than a minute before attempting a tackle on opposite number James Ryan, only to make direct head-to-head contact with his target. Referee Mathieu Raynal had little choice but to send Ewels off, while Ryan's tournament also came to a sudden stop after he failed a head injury assessment (HIA).
The suspension means Ewels, 26, will miss Saturday's trip to face France in Paris as expected, though he'll also sit out Bath's upcoming fixtures against Sale Sharks (March 26) and Worcester Warriors (March 30). Both fixtures are scheduled to take place at The Rec, with the former being a league game while the latter takes place in the Premiership Rugby Cup.
A Six Nations statement said Ewels' ban was originally due to last six weeks, but it was halved due to factors such as his "early acceptance" of the decision, his remorse and a "relatively unblemished disciplinary record." Bath director of rugby Stuart Hooper could have his star forward back in time to face Worcester, with his band to be reduced to two matches if he attends a tackling technique course.
Eddie Jones ' side played the vast majority of their fourth-round duel with only 14 men on the field, performing admirably in parts as they trailed just 18-15 with eight minutes remaining. However, a second defeat in four outings has left England requiring a win against leaders France in order to guarantee they finish above fifth.
England's head coach predicted a "good win" over Les Bleus, who are one win away from securing a grand slam and their first Six Nations title since 2010. Defeat could see England slip as low as fifth if Wales seal a bonus-point win at home to last-place Italy and Scotland manage an upset over Ireland in Dublin.
Although England currently boast a 25-point differential advantage over Gregor Townsend's side, they could still feasibly finish below Scotland if they lose by a much greater margin in Paris. Jones' men recorded their joint-lowest finish of fifth in last year's competition, but to do so in back-to-back years 18 months out from the 2023 Rugby World Cup would be of major concern.
Courtney Lawes moved up from blindside flanker to fill in for Ewels following his dismissal, and the stand-in captain could be called upon to start there from the offset against France. Such a move could leave Sam Simmonds free to take the No. 6 jersey while Alex Dombrandt returns to the starting XV at No.8, with Tom Curry absent due to a hamstring injury.
Other alternatives to partner Maro Itoje at lock include Saracens team-mate Nick Isiekwe—who started in the Round 1 loss to Scotland and the Round 3 win over Italy—as well as Joe Launchbury and Ollie Chessum. England have lost in each of their last two visits to the Stade de France and last beat France on their own soil during their run to the Grand Slam crown in 2016.
