Sam Underhill: Bath flanker given four-week ban for dangerous tackle

The tackle was reviewed by referee Hollie Davidson and the television match officials during the game, with a change in direction from Niniashvili before the collision deemed a mitigating factor to downgrade the incident from red to yellow.

At a disciplinary hearing on Tuesday, Underhill accepted he had committed an act of foul play but did not accept it warranted a red card.

The committee determined it was a mid-range offence, which would warrant a six-week ban, and downgraded it to four due to Underhill’s remorse. But they were unable to reduce it further due to Underhill’s prior record.

The 28-year-old was given a three-week ban in April after also being sent off by Davidson during Bath’s Challenge Cup quarter-final victory against Lyon in April.

Underhill, who has 41 caps for England, has made 13 appearances for Bath this season.