Leinster punish sinning Saints

Northampton Saints 10 Leinster 37: Leinster absorbed some potentially crippling injuries and a Saints third quarter revival to bank a crucial bonus-point win over their 14-man hosts in the East Midlands last night and, with it, grab control of their Champions Cup pool.

Leo Cullen’s side lost Joey Carbery, Rob Kearney, and Sean O’Brien to injuries but they had already wrested control back by the time England captain Dylan Hartley was dismissed for a crazy forearm smash on O’Brien.

It was as dumb as they come by the man who had been touted as a potential British and Irish Lions skipper next June and one wondered what his national coach Eddie Jones made of it as he looked on from the bleachers.