Leinster losing two fly halves against Exeter Chiefs within seven minutes — first Jonathan Sexton, who failed his head-injury assessment and then Ross Byrne, who returned to the field, albeit looking groggy — was down to bad luck and poor tackling technique. Yet, with that happening so early on Saturday, Pascal Gaüzère, the referee, ought to have been aware of his duty of care. No official wants to “ruin” an important European game by showing someone a red card but that had to be the case for Cian Healy rather than a spell in the sin-bin. Gaüzère said there was “no force, no speed”, but to judge that the force Healy — who is nearly 19st and hugely powerful — can generate from a standing start is…

Source: The Times December 18, 2017 01:30 UTC