Dylan Hartley's World Cup hopes are under severe threat after the England hooker was hit with a four-week ban for headbutting Saracens' Jamie George.
The fiery Northampton hooker's guilty plea in Wednesday's disciplinary hearing may just prove a shrewd enough move however to salvage his World Cup participation.
Hartley will miss England's three World Cup warm-up games and the tournament opener against Fiji at Twickenham on September 18.
Source: PA