Hooker Dunn was shown a red card in Bath Rugby’s 69-12 romp against Newcastle Red Bulls in Round 16 of the Gallagher PREM
Bath Rugby’s Tom Dunn during the Gallagher PREM match between Bath Rugby and Northampton Saints(Image: CameraSport via Getty Images)
Bath Rugby hooker Tom Dunn will be available to play in the Gallagher PREM semi-finals after he was handed just a two-match ban following his red card in Bath Rugby’s 69-12 romp against Newcastle Red Bulls in Round 16 of the Gallagher PREM on Saturday.
Dunn accepted the charge at the disciplinary hearing after making head contact with Newcastle captain George McGuigan’s face in an upright tackle.
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McGuigan submitted a statement stating that contact had been minimal, with doctors’ submissions confirming that the Red Bulls forward had suffered no significant ill effects from the impact. In a classy move, McGuigan called for the panel to be lenient with their suspension.
Providing he takes World Rugby’s ‘tackle school’ course, Dunn will miss the final two league games of the PREM season, away at Bristol Bears next Friday and then at home to Leicester Tigers on the final day, with Bath still vying for a home semi-final.
As part of the hearing, Bath head of rugby Johann van Graan provided a glowing reference of Dunn’s character.
In a written submission, he said: “Tom is a family man, a team man, a Bath Rugby legend with an incredible love for rugby, becoming the most capped Bath player in the professional era last Saturday against the Red Bulls of Newcastle, earning his 267th Cap.
“He is also on our leadership team and has captained the team with me as the Head of Rugby.
“Tom received a red card on Saturday, the first since I have been coaching him. I can categorically state that Tom is a hard-working, diligent player who has one of the highest training percentages at the club, always working on his craft.
“Tom is a hooker who makes a lot of contact in a game, whether it be in the scrum or maul, or making tackles, carrying the ball or cleaning out. Tom is a rugby man who plays the game within it’s values.
“We as a team have qualified for the Prem semi-final in three weeks’ time, and Tom is an integral part of our team.”
In Dunn’s absence, van Graan will have Kepu Tuipulotu, who has just been called into Steve Borthwick’s wider England training squad to prepare for the Nations Championship, and Dan Frost as senior options to pick from.
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