Quins quick to back Luamanu after his second suspension

boss John Kingston has jumped to the defence of Mat Luamanu insisting the flanker is not a dirty tackler.

The powerful forward was slapped with his second ban of the season for another ‘dangerous and reckless’ hit on Exeter fly-half Will Hooley. Hooley was forced off the field with a head injury following the massive impact during last weekend’s Anglo-Welsh Cup clash at The Stoop. The 27-year-old Kiwi

below, who pleaded not guilty at the hearing, received a five-week ban having already served a three-week one back in September for an illegal tackle on Sale’s Josh Beaumont.

Quins will be without Luamanu until December 13 but director of rugby Kingston believes his player has been unjustly punished.

He insisted: “You wonder a little bit that the punishment came because a guy has been hit so hard. If there was a question mark over any part of it perhaps it was the height. But the Exeter player ducked down into it. The starting contact point was fine but it was a perfectly legal tackle.

“Occasionally when you hit somebody so hard the player is so stunned that you don’t have time to wrap your arms around him. But Mat did get his arms around him.

“Fair enough, the one against Sale where he got that ban, he didn’t finish the tackle. He didn’t get his hands around the guy but again there was no malicious intent. It became a shoulder charge instead of a tackle. This one was a tackle.”

He added: “I can’t believe it was even a yellow card. I didn’t understand how it was because for me it was one just hell of a hit.

“There was no malicious intent. The one against Sale became a shoulder charge but this one was not like that.”