Anscombe: We were pretty hard done by

Controversy is still raging over the red card administered to Ulster’s Jared Payne by French referee Jerome Garces four minutes into a rip-roaring Heineken Cup quarter-final tie at Ravenhill on Saturday.

Both coaches, Ulster’s Mark Anscombe and Saracens Mark McCall, were adamant the punishment was too severe and Payne’s unintentional clash with his opposite number Andy Goode only merited a yellow card.

Ulster skipper Johann Muller also weighed in saying that Payne was punished for the injury rather than the offence after Goode was stretchered off with concussion.