- England lock Hill accused of putting a fan in a headlock after Bath beat Sale
- Forward reportedly had to be pulled away from the fan by Bryon McGuigan
- Finn Russell kicked 16 points to secure Bath’s place in the final next Saturday
Jonny Hill has been reported to police by a fan accusing the lock of putting him in a headlock and leaving him with a split eye after Bath’s play-off victory over Sale at The Rec.
Tensions boiled over after the final whistle as the forward, who has been capped by England and the Lions, was pulled away by Sale coach Byron McGuigan.
Hill has not played since January because of a knee injury but he cut a frustrated figure from the coaching seats as Sale narrowly missed out on a place in the final.
The bust-up took place in the friends and family area of the West Stand, where a 28-year-old Bath supporter was left with broken glasses and a cut above his right eye.
According to The Telegraph, the supporter has reported the incident to Avon and Somerset Police, though it remains to be seen whether any action will be taken.
Jonny Hill is accused of putting a fan in a headlock and leaving him with a split eye and broken glasses at the end of Bath’s win over Sale on Saturday
Bath’s play-off victory over Sale was overshadowed by ugly scenes at the final whistle
On Saturday, the fan said: ‘I was sat there, and he came down the stairs, grabbed me around the throat, snapped my sunglasses and cut the top of my eye.
‘He was like saying to me, “Don’t ever do that again”. I was just giving him some banter.
‘To be honest, all I want is a new pair of sunglasses. It is not football. I was sat with my partner and all her family (Bath fans). We were Worcester fans.’
Sale coach Alex Sanderson spent the match down by the pitch and only became aware of the incident during his post-match press conference.
He said: ‘It is news to me, Jonny is not the aggressive type and I will answer those questions when I know. I can vouch for Jonny’s character, he is not an overly aggressive spiteful person.’
The incident overshadowed a tight contest, with Finn Russell kicking 16 points to secure Bath’s place in Saturday’s final against Northampton.
Bath have not won the Premiership since 1996 and club legend Jeremy Guscott was sat in the stands as Johan van Graan’s side bid to end their trophy drought.
Sale released a statement on Saturday acknowledging that they are aware of the incident and pledging to work with Bath to complete an investigation.
Sale coach Alex Sanderson only became aware of the incident during his post-match presser
‘Sale Sharks are aware of an incident involving a player and Bath Rugby fan at the final whistle of today’s semi-final.’ The statement began.
‘The club will work with Bath Rugby to complete an investigation into the incident and will provide no further comment at this time.’
