DYLAN Hartley has certainly paid the price for his actions down the years.

Throughout his career, the former Worcester academy player has spent more than a year out of the game serving bans.

Two of those suspensions, 11 weeks for verbally abusing referee Wayne Barnes during the Aviva Premiership final and headbutting Saracens hooker Jamie George last May, cost him a place on the British Lions tour of Australia in 2013 and at Hartley’s home World Cup respectively.

Given that, and several other high-profile unsavoury incidents including eye-gouging, the 29-year-old must have thought the boat had sailed on his international career.

Never mind being handed the England captaincy.

Yet this week, new head coach Eddie Jones bestowed the greatest honour on the Northampton Saints hooker.

There are those who think Hartley’s position as captain is morally wrong, that his more than chequered past sends out the wrong message to youngsters making their way in the game.

They have a point.

To them, it’s akin to making Joey Barton the England football captain.

Others, including Jones, feel Hartley’s passion, and not inconsiderable experience and talent, for the game can give England the edge going into the Six Nations that was missing in the summer.

He, too, has a point.

Jones has taken a gamble in appointing Hartley, there’s no doubt about that.

His every move will be scrutinised as he leads his country, starting against Scotland at Murrayfield on Saturday week.

Both coach and captain will know that.

But, significantly, Hartley has been handed another chance, an opportunity he probably thought he’d never get when watching England from the sidelines a few short months ago.

He owes it to himself, his international team-mates and rugby union as a whole to make the most of it and prove that Jones’ faith in him has not been misplaced.