Hartley’s Saints return lifts Jones
ENGLAND captain Dylan Hartley is set to make his first appearance since lifting the Six Nations trophy, this Saturday.
The hooker has been pencilled in to return for Northampton after concussion, in their final Premiership match at Gloucester, with Saints having failed to make the play-offs.
He still has to come through training to seal a likely bench place, but after a worrying seven-week absence, his involvement in a game the Saints need to win to guarantee Champions Cup rugby next season would be welcomed by Eddie Jones. The England coach names his squad for the summer tour to Australia on May 22 and has indicated Hartley, 30, will lead it as long as he is fit.
Hartley, knocked out in the closing stage of England’s game against France, was sidelined for two months in the autumn because of concussion after a collision with Billy Vunipola.
Northampton, who had to deal with George North’s concussion issues last season, have been cautious over a return date for Hartley. However a return on Saturday would mean he is likely to captain England against Wales at Twickenham on May 29. Jones cannot pick players involved in the Premiership final, which takes place the day before, a handicap which could conceivably rule out his other Six Nations hookers, Luke CowanDickie, of Exeter, and Saracens’ Jamie George, who is expected to return after an eight-week absence with a bicep injury at Worcester on Saturday.
England centre Manu Tuilagi will miss out for a second successive week with a knee injury when Leicester travel to Bath but the Tigers are confident he will be fit for the Premiership play-offs.
“He tweaked his medial ligament against Racing. If it was the semi this week he could play but a nice, fit, hungry Manu will be nice for the semi-final,” said Leicester director of rugby Richard Cockerill.
Wasps stand-off Ruaridh Jackson is to join Harlequins in the summer.