Summary Hartley pleaded guilty to the charge of striking Smith while playing for Northampton.
LONDON (AFP) - England hooker Dylan Hartley has been cleared to play in the forthcoming Six Nations tournament after receiving just a three-week ban for elbowing Leicester s Matt Smith.
Hartley pleaded guilty to the charge of striking Smith while playing for Northampton in their Premiership win over Leicester on Saturday.
It was feared the Saints captain would be hit with a long suspension given his poor disciplinary record, but a Rugby Football Union hearing, held via conference call on Tuesday, opted for a more lenient approach.
A ban of six weeks or more would have jeopardised Hartley s chances of appearing in the Six Nations, which gets underway with England s clash against Wales in early February, and his future Test career in light of a previous disciplinary rap sheet including eye-gouging, biting, punching and swearing.
