Zurich Premiership: London Irish considering citing Saints

London Irish-player coach Brendon Venter will decide tomorrow whether to take action against Northampton for foul play after his side went down 15-24 at Franklin’s Gardens.

Prop Rob Hardwick was stretchered off with a badly-cut eye after only seven minutes and scrum-half Darren Edwards was taken to hospital in the 63rd minute with a dislocated elbow.

Venter, currently out injured, said: ‘‘I want to see the video and if there was dirty play we will cite.

‘‘I don’t know how my tighthead prop gets a cut eye if it was not dirty play. If it was we will cite.

‘‘And Darren Edwards told me he had been deliberately injured off the ball.

‘‘It would be very disappointing if it was foul play, hopefully it wasn’t.’’

But Northampton’s England and Lions scrum-half Matt Dawson felt Saints deserved more credit for their performance.

He said: ‘‘There is a citing procedure, let it happen. I am not going to make any comment on it.

‘‘It is disappointing people are sitting whinging about losing, why can’t they admit we deserved to win. It was physical and hard and I don’t condone foul play.’’

Director of rugby John Steele added: ‘‘It was a very physical game, which we said we would do after what we regarded as an embarrassing defeat down at their place when we lost 48-12.

‘‘I thought our boys were outstanding today.’’