Racing second-row Leone Nakarawa was lucky to escape a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on in Saturday’s Champions Cup final with Leinster.
The Fijian lock deliberately batted away a Luke McGrath pass with referee Wayne Barnes awarding Leinster just the penalty.
Barnes said that the Racing defence was set and that he didn’t think that there was an opportunity for a clean linebreak, however, former Leinster winger Shane Horgan argued that his actions nevertheless represented cynical play.
“I think it was cynical play,” said Horgan while commentating on BT Sport 2.
“It was a professional foul. Leinster might not have scored from it but he didn’t know that.”
Co-commentator Stuart Barnes added:
“Blatant knock on, utterly cynical, I think you could have argued for a yellow there.”
