Sale will now investigate an incident involving Jonny Hill after the England and Lions team were accused of grabbing a Bath supporter in a headlock which left them with a cut over his right eye during unpleasant scenes after the Sharks semi-final loss in The. Rec.
Hill, who is 6-foot-7, did not play in the game and was dressed in casual clothing and sat in the friends and family section of the west stand, and the incident was seen by multiple witnesses.
Subsequently, Sale forwards Si McIntyre and Tommy Taylor, who started in the semi-final defeat, supported Hill on social media, suggesting the full story remained unknown.
“Easy title with a narrative. Get the full story, mate,” Taylor wrote on Lewd headlines only detract from the skill displayed today.”
The 28-year-old fan, who did not want to be named and was reported to have joked with Hill at the end of the game, said afterwards: “I was sitting there and he came down the stairs, grabbed me.” He went around my throat, broke my sunglasses and cut the top of my eye. It was like telling me: ‘never do that again.’
“To be honest, all I want is a new pair of sunglasses. It’s not football. I sat with my partner and all his family (Bath fans). We were Worcester fans. “I don’t want to do much.”
Sale said in a statement: “Sale Sharks are aware of an incident involving a Bath Rugby player and fan at the final whistle of today’s semi-final. “The club will work with Bath Rugby to complete an investigation into the incident and will not be making any further comment at this time.”
Alex Sanderson, the club’s director of rugby, later revealed that he had not seen the incident while also defending Hill’s character.
“It’s news to me, Jonny is not the aggressive type and I will answer those questions when I know,” Sanderson said. “I can attest to Jonny’s character, he is not an overly aggressive or spiteful person.”
Paul Deacon, Sale’s assistant coach, could be heard speaking to the fan after offering his apology, adding that he had not seen what happened.
Hill, who has earned 20 caps for England but has not been selected since last summer’s Rugby World Cup warm-up matches, has not played for Sale since dislocating his kneecap in January in a match against La Rochelle in the Investec Champions Cup. Earlier this year he had been linked with a move to France with Lyon before his injury, and now he will stay with Sale for another season.
While on tour with England in Australia two years ago, Hill received a headbutt from Wallaby Darcy Swain, who was sent off as a result by referee Ben O’Keeffe, and Hill was shown a yellow card following the same incident for pulling his teammate’s hair. opponent. .
In his later testimony, Swain, who was suspended for two weeks, described being deliberately injured by Hill three times during the test, and Swain also told the hearing: “I have never before been treated the way Hill treated me in a professional game. and he hurt me, surprised me and made me angry.” Hill issued a statement after that incident saying that he “had absolutely no symptoms as a result of the incident” following the headbutt, and also that he had “no hard feelings toward” Swain.
Hill did not face any disciplinary action for Swain’s claims, although his actions were considered mitigation when the panel weighed the Australian’s punishment.
Hill’s disciplinary record is fairly clean: he received a two-match suspension in 2017 after he was sent off in an Exeter Chiefs match against Wasps for shoulder-bumping.
The second row broke through at Exeter and played a major role in the club’s Premiership and European Cup double in 2020, starting in both finals, before moving north to join Sale two years ago. He also toured with the British and Irish in South Africa in 2021.