Bath flanker Sam Underhill banned four weeks for dangerous tackle in Challenge Cup final

Bath flanker Sam Underhill has been handed a four-week suspension for a dangerous head-on-head tackle on Lyon full-back Davit Niniashvili during the European Challenge Cup final, which Bath won. Although he initially received a yellow card during the match, an independent disciplinary committee later upgraded the offense to a red card level, citing the mid-range severity of the foul play. The suspension will rule Underhill out of Bath’s remaining season, including their final regular-season game against Saracens, the Premiership semi-final, and potentially the final if Bath advance. Additionally, Underhill could miss England’s upcoming summer matches against France and Argentina if selected. The committee reduced the six-week entry-point sanction by two weeks due to Underhill’s remorse but could not reduce it further because of his prior disciplinary record, including a recent three-week ban for a similar offense. This suspension is a significant blow to Bath’s ambitions for a trophy treble and impacts England’s preparations for the summer internationals.