Sean Reidy: Ulster ready to take on Exeter ‘big boys’

Ireland flanker Sean Reidy hopes there will be no repeat of his personal controversy on Sunday at Sandy Park, where Ulster hope to re-ignite their season with a Champions Cup success against in-form Pool 5 opponents Exeter.

With new tackle laws oming into focus last weekend, Reidy became embroiled in a contentious penalty try award and yellow card decision which went a long way to seeing Scarlets defeat Ulster 16-13 in Llanelli. Subsequently, the PRO12’s referee’s commissioner Ed Morrison said that the decision was wrong. Even in the moment, Reidy instinctively sensed his innocence.

“At the time, I thought I wasn’t in the wrong, I thought I made a good, positive tackle, but obviously the referee saw it in a different light. It was his call. He just said at the time, that the tackle was around the neck area which prevented a try, so he gave a penalty try. I suspect he got the feedback from upstairs. Obviously, the rules have changed, and you cannot make contact in that area, even though during the game there were numerous tackles of similar nature and, indeed, right throughout the weekend.