News: Northampton star Carlos Spencer has been cited for an alleged dangerous tackle during Saints' Anglo-Welsh Cup defeat against Newport Gwent Dragons last weekend. The former All Blacks outhalf will face an England Rugby Football Union disciplinary hearing in Bristol on Monday night.
And if he is banned - three-week suspensions were handed out for similar offences to Harlequins centre Stuart Abbott and London Irish scrumhalf Paul Hodgson earlier this season - it could be a major blow to Saints' Heineken European Cup hopes.
Spencer was yellow-carded by referee Nigel Owens for a tackle on Dragons' Welsh international scrumhalf Gareth Cooper at Rodney Parade. The New Zealander had initially failed to retreat 10 metres following a penalty awarded against Northampton, then he appeared to dump Cooper head-first into the turf. Cooper was not injured, but Spencer's action threatened to spark a brawl between players from both sides before Owens intervened.
Northampton open their European Cup campaign away to French giants Biarritz on Sunday week, before hosting Borders six days later. Spencer, though, could miss both of those Pool Six games, with Saints having already lost captain Bruce Reihana and England hooker Steve Thompson to injuries.
Meanwhile, Nigel Melville has been appointed the chief executive officer and president of rugby operations for USA Rugby. Melville has signed a two-year contract. The USA qualified for the World Cup with a victory over Uruguay in Stanford at the weekend but join an ominously strong group with England, South Africa and Samoa.
At present qualification is the extent of America's ambitions. But the plan is to develop a Tri-Nations tournament including Canada and Argentina and expand the domestic game by creating four regional teams to compete in a cross-border Super 12-style competition.
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/YVIRIOZQ35EWRPZXR27KGMO6YU.png)