3 more sent off as red card fever hits

STEVE BORTHWICK admits the red card fever which has struck the Premiership over the weekend is ‘unacceptable and not good for the game’. Yet the Leicester boss also believes players are learning and adjusting to the new tackling rules which are making such a huge impact on the sport. Borthwick faces losing two of his key South African forwards, No 8 Jasper Wiese and flanker Hanro Liebenberg, t o bans aft er they were sent off during a resounding 27-8 victory over Wasps, who themselves had prop Kieran Brookes dismissed for dangerous play. The trio at Welford Road took the tally in the Premiership to an incredible five red cards in two days, with Bath and Gloucester also losing players on Friday night. Wiese was sent packing after just 27 minutes for flying recklessly into a ruck and smashing flanker Ben Morris in the face. Brookes got his marching orders just after the break to even the numbers when a double tackle led to the prop hitting his rival on the head with his forearm.

Liebenberg failed to compete for a high ball properly, taking his Wasps opponent dangerously out of the air and sending him crashing to the ground.

Borthwick insists measures need to be taken to clamp down on the sudden spate of sendings off.

He s ai d: ‘ The r ul es are cl ear and referees have protocols to follow and I’m sure they did here.

‘It is unacceptable and isn’t good to have three red cards in a single game. We need to stop it happening. But, saying that, each red card was different.

‘It is wrong to brandish everybody in the same way. There were three incidents in a hard fought game of rugby. We have to try and minimise serious injuries to players. Players’ welfare has to be paramount.’