Earls laments costly late call

Keith Earls has criticised the officials’ failure to award Ireland a penalty in the final throes of Saturday’s draw with France.

With the scores locked after the French had struck back in the last 10 minutes, Earls was nudged over the touchline by replacement prop Vincent Debaty as they chased Eoin Reddan’s cute chip into the right corner.

The intervention enabled number eight Louis Picamoles, the source of France’s 74th-minute try, to touch down and television match official Nigel Whitehouse judged the contact between Debaty and Earls as legal.