Saints short of wing options for Bulls battle as Ramm is hit with ban
Saints have been left short on the wing after James Ramm was hit with a two-week suspension.
Ramm was shown a 20-minute red card early in the second half of last Sunday's 35-27 Investec Champions Cup win at Section Paloise.
The Australian ace, who had scored two tries in the match, made contact with Thomas Jolmes in the air, with the Section Paloise lock landing awkwardly.
Referee Andrea Piardi opted to send Ramm from the field, but Saints managed to navigate the period with 14 men and eventually claimed an impressive bonus-point success.
Ramm had a disciplinary hearing via video conference on Tuesday, with the player accepting he had committed an act of foul play that warranted a red card.
The independent disciplinary committee determined that Ramm was guilty of a reckless act and upheld the red card.
It was then decided that the offending was at the low end of World Rugby’s sanctions, and four weeks was selected as the appropriate entry point.
Taking into account the player’s good disciplinary record and his timely acceptance of the charge, as well as his remorse and apology to Jolmes, the committee decided to reduce the sanction by the maximum of 50 per cent, meaning a two-week suspension was imposed.
That will result in Ramm missing Sunday's home Champions Cup match against Vodacom Bulls and the following weekend's Gallagher PREM game against Sale Sharks, which is also at cinch Stadium at Franklin's Gardens.
Saints are already missing several wing options, with Edoardo Todaro unable to return from his suspension until the Sale game, while Tommy Freeman is still recovering from a hamstring issue and Ollie Sleightholme has an ankle knock.
Tom Litchfield has often filled in on the wing, but he is also injured as he picked up a hamstring problem during the recent defeat at Bristol Bears.