JOE Marler, at times a cantankerous individual, is prone to the odd brain fade but his red card offence against Sale may prove to be particularly costly.
Not only for Harlequins, who were undoubtedly hampered by the prop’s dismissal, but also for England, with the Six Nations less than a month away.
On this occasion it is hard to defend Marler, even if Quins’ director of rugby John Kingston did try. When a ruck was formed in the middle of the field with 20 minutes remaining, the 53-cap international appeared to dip his shoulder into the head of the defenceless TJ Ioane.
Provocation was not a mitigating factor either so, when referee Matthew Carley brandished the red card, few were surprised.
Marler will discover his fate soon enough. Australia tighthead Sekope Kepu was banned for three weeks earlier in the season for a no-arms clearout against Scotland but Marler’s previous record may count against him, despite Kingston querying the severity of the incident.
This story is from the January 07, 2018 edition of The Rugby Paper.
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This story is from the January 07, 2018 edition of The Rugby Paper.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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