Pundits told to stop the ref-bashing

EUROPEAN officials have contacted BT Sport and other broadcasters to address pundits criticising referees. The crackdown on dangerous tackles to minimise contact with the head has seen a torrent of red cards this season — which has led to some saying the game is ‘going soft’. As the continent’s top sides prepare to launch Heineken Champions Cup campaigns, the chairman of tournament organisers EPCR, Simon Halliday, has revealed that steps have been taken to manage responses of former players. He said: ‘We’re speaking to broadcasters about how they comment on incidents. There have been comments about the way the game’s going. Is it going soft? ‘Ex-players have been talking about it a lot. Our message is, if you go high, you risk a red card.’ Meanwhile, Sale wing Marland Yarde is out for six months with a knee injury picked up in Saturday’s win over Newcastle. Wales will be without Taulupe Faletau for their autumn series after the No 8 broke an arm.