It says a lot for the lacklustre match-up that a shemozzle proved the main talking point
Leinster kept their Champions Cup home quarter final hopes alive with a hard-fought victory over Harlequins at the Aviva Stadium. Ian Madigan proved the match-winner with a late penalty and was also involved in a late scrap that eventually produced a yellow card for Quins’ Charlie Matthews.
Matthews was preoccupied with Leinster lock Mike McCarthy but Madigan clashed with Danny Care and grappled with the scrum-half on the turf. One television replay appeared to show Madigan receive two punches to the head but referee Romain Poite declined to act on inconclusive footage.
Leinster coach Matt O’Connor said, ‘We didn’t have a great view from where we were. It’s a non-event. We’ll have to see what the citing commissioner says.’
Asked about possible punches to his inside centre, O’Connor remarked, ‘Not that I saw. Maybe someone pulled his hair. He probably needs a hair-cut, to be honest. That’s what I think.’
Harlequins director of rugby Conor O’Shea believes his team did not get the bounce of the ball on a couple of decisions. He did not agree with Matthew’s late trip to the sin bin. ‘I can’t believe it was a yellow card for that,’ he said.
