'It's quite sad': Wales star says Johnny Sexton gets special treatment from referees

Wales flanker Ross Moriarty has claimed that Johnny Sexton receives extra protection from referees.

Moriarty was sin-binned for a late-hit on Sexton in Leinster's 52-10 victory over the Dragons a fortnight ago.

He told Scrum V on BBC Wales that there would have been no penalty had the players' roles been reversed.

"Some may say it was harsh, some may say it was fair, but if Johnny did that against me in that game, I know for a fact he would not have had anything happen to him," said Moriarty.

😬 "I think rugby is getting very soft"

Hear the full interview with Ross Moriarty and @g_r_owen on today's #ScrumV

⏰ 6pm

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— BBC ScrumV (@BBCScrumV) September 30, 2018

"It's nice to see little players running around making a fool of big players but when a big player gets hold of a smaller one, there's always a big scene.

"Most players will have had something happen to them if they hit Johnny Sexton off the ball because obviously he has a big pull in the game these days, which is quite sad."

He added: "I think rugby is going soft which is quite sad to see."