Share

Horne, Hooper face time on the sidelines

London - Michael Hooper's date with a rugby judge and Rob Horne's shoulder injury hit Australia's preparations on Monday ahead of their World Cup pool decider against Wales.

Star flanker Hooper risks a ban of several weeks when he appears before a disciplinary hearing on Tuesday after being accused of foul play during Australia's landmark 33-13 win over England.

The 23-year-old lynchpin of Australia's back row flung himself shoulder first into a ruck and hit the head of England fullback Mike Brown one minute before half-time.

French referee Romain Poite decided a ticking off and a penalty to England was enough. But independent Citing Commissioner Steve Hinds ruled further action should be considered.

A World Rugby disciplinary statement said Hooper had been cited for "charging into a ruck or maul without use of the arms or grasping the player."

It said Hooper will face a hearing on Tuesday before independent judicial officer Alan Hudson of Canada.

If found guilty, Hooper faces a ban of between two weeks and up to 10 weeks or more if it is judged a serious offence. That would rule him out of at least the match against Wales on Saturday to decide who gets top place in Pool A.

England's Sam Burgess has received a warning from the citing commissioner for a dangerous high tackle nine minutes from the end of the game.

England also face a team investigation over allegations that coaching staff made an illegal approach to match officials at half-time as the teams went off with England trailing 17-3. With England out of the World Cup, any sanctions will not affect the tournament.

Australia's other worry is over wing Horne who left the field after 11 minutes with a shoulder injury. Forwards Will Skelton and Wycliff Palu have already left the tournament because of leg injuries.

"Rob Horne's scans and tests came back a bit better than expected," defence coach Nathan Grey told a press conference.

"The medical staff will continue to monitor him throughout the week," he added.

Horne is understood to be struggling to be in coach Michael Cheika's selection plans for Saturday's game.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
33% - 1818 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1779 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1084 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 461 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 187 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 254 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE