Munster face Exeter today in the opening match of their Champions Cup campaign. The scores are 10-3 at half time, but Munster can count themselves lucky that they're not staring into the second half a man down after Andrew Conway took out Exeter kicker Gareth Steenson as the fly half added the conversion to Luke Cowan-Dickie's try.
Jerome Garces judged the incident accidental as Conway was in the air and didn't intentionally take out Steenson, though Exeter fans will argue that there is a certain responsibility on the chaser to make sure that he doesn't endanger the kicker.
Many viewers were surprised that Conway escaped the incident without sanction
Blydi hell! If Conway's jump into Steenson isn't reckless then I don't know what is. Cannot take out the kicker. Forearm to to head/neck at least a penalty YC. I'd have given RC.#EXEvMUN
— Huw G Jones (@HuwGJones310) October 13, 2018
#EXEvMUN Conway lucky to get away with that...
— Jimmy Murphy (@JimmyREMfan) October 13, 2018
So apparently #ChampionsCup Rugby will allow players to shoulder dive into kickers.
Utterly shambolic!#EXEvMUN— Matt Hunter #10 (@MattHunter09) October 13, 2018
@ugomonye sorry but that’s reckless...don’t mind a player trying to charge down a conversion but you can’t just follow through and take out the kicker! Minimum yellow card! @ExeterChiefs #EXEvMUN
— Tim Chapman (@TWJChapman) October 13, 2018
Conway very silly and very lucky there, could easily have got a card #EXEvMUN
— Peter Gaughan (@shelflife68) October 13, 2018
Elbow to the head by Conway on Steenson at the conversion charge down. How is that not even a penalty? #EXEvMUN #ChampionsCUp
— Alexander Blakey (@ajrblakey) October 13, 2018
#EXEvMUN Conway was very lucky there. Rugby reffing is so inconsistent from one game to the next, that was far more reckless than Kaino's yellow earlier today
— Jim Prescott (@J____P_______) October 13, 2018
