Chris Ashton has been banned for 13-weeks after he was found guilty of biting an opponent during a Premiership game at the weekend.
It is the second time in 2016 that Aston has received a lengthy ban. In January, the Saracens winger was banned for ten weeks for making contract with the eyes of Ulster's Luke Marshall.
Ashton was found guilty of biting the arm of Northampton prop Alex Waller during Saracens' 27-12 win at Allianz Park on Saturday. He was charged with two offences, but was one found guilty of one.
Does Ashton bite Waller? pic.twitter.com/EbVYjFlOBH
— RugbyInsideLine (@RugbyInsideLine) September 17, 2016
The minimum ban for such an offence is 12 weeks. Philip Evans led the citing panel and said they "concluded it was a low-end entry point aggravated by his previous record."
Ashton will not not be allowed play until December. He misses England's Autumn internationals against South Africa, Fiji, Argentina and Australia and the first four games of Saracens' Champions Cup campaign. Those first four games include an away game against former champions Toulon.
The ban will further damage Ashton's chances of returning to the England squad. Capped 39 times by his country, scoring 19 tries, the 29-year-old has not played for England since 2014. He was picked in Eddie Jones' squad for the Six Nations but missed out do to his ten-week ban.
