HARDIE SHOCK
Scots star in the dock after SRU suspension
Scottish rugby has been thrown into turmoil after Edinburgh star John hardie was suspended from playing for club and country until further notice.
the 16-times capped international has been informed by the SRU he will not be picked until an internal investigation into his behaviour is complete.
he will not be included in Gregor townsend’s Scotland squad for the games against Samoa, New Zealand and Australia next month. But sources within the SRU say they cannot make public the allegations made against him at this stage.
‘Scottish Rugby and Edinburgh Rugby confirm Scotland international and Edinburgh forward John hardie has been suspended from duty pending an internal investigation,’ said a short SRU statement.
the New Zealand-born player did not travel with his Edinburgh teammates to Russia where they will face Krasny Yar in a European challenge
Cup tie in Moscow today His suspension from Edinburgh follows the ban handed down to team captain Magnus Bradbury — who was told to stay away from the club until an investigation into his behaviour on a night out was concluded The suspension of Hardie and Bradbury, who fell and bumped his head on a pavement in the early hours on a night out, are in no way linked Hardie’s suspension, following hard on the heels of the Bradbury case, is yet another headache for Edinburgh head coach Richard Cockerill He demands high standards from his players and, regardless of the outcome of both investigations, it means he is now without two of his most important players for the foreseeable future Great things were expected of Hardie — who qualifies for Scotland through a grandparent from Culross, Fife — when he signed for Edinburgh from New Zealand Super Rugby side The Highlanders two years ago He was expected to make the openside flanker jersey his own after he made his Scotland debut in a 2015 World Cup warm-up match against Italy in Turin Although he played well for his adopted country initially, he has since struggled with both injuries and form — with Edinburgh team-mate Hamish Watson taking his place as first-choice openside flanker with Scotland over the past year