Leinster took a statement win on Friday night at the RDS, pulling out a 35-point second-half performance to triumph 47-14 against the Bulls.
The top-of-the-table clash brought the Pretoria side to Dublin, with four World Cup-winning Springboks in tow.
One of those Springbok stars, Kurt-Lee Arendse, was at the centre of a controversial incident just before half-time in Dublin 4.
READ HERE: The Long Wait For Rugby 24 Is Set To Continue With Another Delay
READ HERE: Rugby League CEO Reveals How Close Owen Farrell Came To Shock Switch
Leinster: Fans slate Irish pundits for take on Luke McGrath hit during Bulls clash
Leinster were sloppy in the first period, giving away a multitude of penalties in the opening moments and turning over possession on several occasions. It was a missed tackle, however, which allowed Arendse to race towards the corner with five minutes left to the break.
Racing across to challenge Arendse was Leinster scrum-half and captain Luke McGrath but, when he arrived at the scene, he clattered into Arendse with head-to-head contact and was left requiring a HIA.
Delicious Johan Goosen step followed by a trademark Kurt-Lee Arendse sprint to the line 😎
Vodacom @BlueBullsRugby are lightning up the RDS 🏟️✨#BKTURC #URC | #LEIvBUL pic.twitter.com/dnzXi3IL2X— BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) March 29, 2024
Referee Craig Evans consulted with his TMO but ultimately decided not to show McGrath a red card. Evans awarded the Leinster man a yellow card, saying that there was not a high level of danger in the scrum-half's attempted tackle, with "most of the force" of the hit going through the body.
Though there may be some degree of truth to that statement, McGrath was nonetheless extremely fortunate to avoid harsher punishment. Having travelled at speed from a sizeable distance away, McGrath made head-to-head contact with little visible attempt to wrap.
All that considered, Alan Quinlan's take on the incident on commentary was difficult to comprehend:
I don't like what Arendse did here. He could have easily just touched this ball down and he deliberately tucked that shoulder into Luke McGrath there.
Luke McGrath is coming across...he's [Arendse] not doing anything illegal but I'd just love to see him put the ball down. There's nothing illegal in it but he could have easily just slid along the grass there and scored.
To be fair, he's staying infield isn't he? I just think he can dive there and score.
It's very serious. There's no foul play in it...but there's a little bit of an arm up there, isn't there?
Look, he is bracing himself for the contact there.
Arendse did visibly raise his elbow, though it appeared as though that was an instinctive reaction to the charging McGrath's imminent hit on the South African.
To lay the blame at the Springbok's door was a perplexing choice from Quinlan - and one echoed by former Leinster man Ian Madigan at half-time on Premier Sports:
You can see Luke McGrath tracking across here as fast as possible. He is too high in his body height, it's very difficult when you're running across the pitch as fast as that.
What I don't like here from Arendse here is the use of the elbow. His elbow clearly comes away from his body.
We're trying to make the game as safe as possible. We've seen this seatbelt tackle being ruled out - but there's been plenty of times I've been playing in games and I've seen players being knocked out with the use of an elbow.
There's a clear rule there that the elbow must stay attached to your body. It doesn't in that instance and I think it should have been a yellow card for both Luke McGrath and Arendse.
Arendse was able to continue in the game, while McGrath did not return to the field of play at the end of his sin-bin period.
On social media, the respective takes of Alan Quinlan and Ian Madigan on the contentious incident did not go down especially well with rugby fans.
One fan called the analysis from the pair of Irish pundits "biased," while another accused Quinlan of hypocrisy.
Enjoy Alan Quinlan as a pundit in general but he is having a mare with the McGrath's tackle and Arendse not 'sliding in'.#LEIvBUL
— Jared Wright (@jaredwright17) March 29, 2024
Alan Quinlan needs to get over himself with the KLA “could have done more” narrative. He did nothing illegal. #LEIvBUL
— John (@johngormley94) March 29, 2024
@Ian_madigan what on earth are u talking about trying to somehow blame Arendse for McGrath steaming into his head at full tilt. Should've been a red for McGrath that was really dangerous and it shouldn't matter that he's Irish.
— #ForzaAlba 🏴 (@OilerScots) March 29, 2024
Ian Madigan having an absolute mare! Arendse had to protect himself from a man coming full tilt and completely upright. McGrath should have got a red for that. Arendse was entitled to protect himself from a head on head collision! #premiersports
— Conor Counihan (@ConorCounihan) March 29, 2024
Though Leinster were full value for their victory once they kicked up a gear in the second-half, the Bulls have ample reason to feel aggrieved with the decision not to show a red card just before the break.
It will be fascinating to see if any retrospective action befalls Luke McGrath for the incident.
SEE ALSO: Eimear Considine Column: Ireland Can Put Their Mark Back On This Competition With Italy Result
