Mend our ways or pay the penalty

SERIAL offenders and even cheats according to Scottish coach Andy Robinson.

Those are the accusations levelled against the Irish rugby players and management this week and they will have to plead guilty to at least some of the charges.

When Romain Poite whistled them off the pitch at the set piece in the game against Italy and Dave Pearson followed suit in the agonising three-point defeat by France, much of the fire was directed at the referees and the supposition they had gone into those games with preconceived notions.