Joe Schmidt has a line that he drums into the Irish players relentlessly: You are what you repeatedly do.
That line has been borne out as true in the case of a couple of Irish rugby villains across European rugby this weekend. Firstly, on Friday night, Dylan Hartley committed his latest act of violence: a forearm smash on Sean O'Brien that left the Irishman on the sideline for the rest of the game.
Not to be outdone, Pascal Pape decided to dedicate a portion of Stade's clash with Edinburgh to his unending pursuit of shithousery.
You may remember that it was Pape who thrust his knee into Jamie Heaslip's back, leaving the Irish No. 8 with fractured vertebrae.
Well, last night he was at it again. Edinburgh's wonderfully-named Phil Burleigh was sent-off for slapping Pape in the face. While childish, it wasn't exactly forceful. Nonetheless, poor Pascal felt its brute force, and threw himself to the ground.
Agression scandaleuse contre notre @pascalpape ! J'espère qu'il n'aura pas à passer de protocole commotion... #EDIvSFP pic.twitter.com/qcAAcHuZ1G
— Rucky (@RuckydeParis) December 10, 2016
One crafty twitter user cut together this rather excellent clip:
Despite their numerical disadvantage, Edinburgh won the game, overcoming a 20-3 halftime deficit to win 28-23.
See Also: The British Media Reaction To Munster's Shellacking Of Leicester Tigers
See Also: 'He Gave Dylan Hartley A Bit Of A Lesson' - Warren Gatland Full Of Praise For Rory Best
