Heading into the 2013 Premiership final against resurgent Leicester, Dylan Hartley’s bags were already packed for the British and Irish Lions of Australia. What could possibly go wrong?
Despite earlier warnings, Hartley issued a volley of abuse – he always maintained it was not directed at referee Wayne Barnes, but Barnes saw otherwise, and issued him a red card. Leicester went on to win 37-17.
While Hartley headed home, rather than to Hong Kong, and was subsequently issued an 11-week ban and found guilty of calling referee Wayne Barnes a ‘****ing cheat’
Reacting to the incident, one viewer wrote: “Regardless of whether you like the referee or not, it is the correct decision and excellent refereeing in this case. Don’t blame the referee for the red card, blame the player for not keeping his mouth shut,:
“Well Done Wayne Barnes! Just like Hartley, he trained most of his life to be in that position and he’s not there to be called a cheat…” said a second.
A third wrote: “You got exactly what you deserved Dylan.. My sympathy is for the Saints fans who looked forward to their special day and were deprived of at least equality of “arms” by very poor discipline and leadership,”
RED CARD:
Hartley reaction:
“When he [Barnes] sent me off it was a moment of disbelief actually,” said Hartley.
on Zebo and host Christina Mahon. “I couldn’t believe what was happening. It almost went like slow motion, like the whole world was ending.
“Yellow cards are alright because you just jog off and know you’re going to come back on hopefully, so the quicker you actually get off for a yellow card, the time starts so you get off the field sharp. But red cards, it’s the slowest walk of your life. I knew the impact that that had. It was Northampton’s first-ever final in the Premiership, it was against our rivals Leicester. That season had been perfect for us, we were flying.
“I let down not only the team but the town and then personally I’d been to the Lions camp the week before and would have done the messy Monday but it was a Sunday, had all that kit, even the squad photo and then they photoshopped Rory Best’s head.
“I wasn’t even thinking about that. It was just pure disbelief if I’m honest. It was a pretty long walk of shame. I went straight to the changing rooms and had a moment with myself… I thought the easy thing to do here is to sit in. I felt like getting a taxi home, out the fire escape kind of thing.
“But I thought the right thing was to front up, sit on the bench full well knowing I’m going to have every camera poked in my face, all the photographers were there, and then at the end of the game I could have easily shied away from not getting a losers’ medal and confronting my teammates but I thought I have got to front up here.
“It was difficult but I did the right thing. I did the wrong thing to get sent off but I did the right thing in my mind as a teammate and as a bloke to front up and get on with it. It wasn’t easy.
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