CONNACHT – 3
LEINSTER – 20
Leinster were deserving winners of a tense Guinness PRO14 clash with Connacht, in Galway, but the match was overshadowed by a quite horrendous head-stamp.
Leo Cullen and Stuart Lancaster’s men avenged their heavy defeat at The Sportsground last season with Garry Ringrose and Sean Cronin getting tries that were converted by Johnny Sexton. The Leinster captain kicked two penalties that had his side 6-3 up at half-time.
The Blues did most of the damage in the second half and there was considerable bite between the two teams. Turnovers and scores were celebrated wildly to grate the opposition and there were a couple of skirmishes over the course of the game.
With just over 10 minutes to play, and Leinster leading by 17 points, replacement Connacht prop Dominic Robertson-McCoy lost the plot.
While he surely did not mean to stamp on Josh van der Flier’s head, he would have been aware that a Leinster body was below his feet and there was very little duty of care to a fellow player.
Referee John Lacey took a couple of looks at replays and agreed with the TV Match Official that a straight red card was warranted. Robertson-McCoy did not complain and trudged off.
70: Red Card!
Dominic Robertson-McCoy sent off for a 'deliberate stamp to the head' of Josh van der Flier. Connacht are down to 14 men.
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Van der Flier, who was later named man of the match, remained on the pitch after receiving some treatment for the head blow.
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