It was a clash of two Champions Cup semi-finalists at Twickenham today as Harlequins and Northampton played out a barn burner of a match which saw Quins topple the league leaders Saints 42-31.
However all people were talking after the game was the decision from referee Karl Dickson to not give Danny Care a second yellow card after a cynical professional foul.
Care had been given a yellow card in the first half for a head-on-head collision with fellow England International Courtney Lawes.
There was no question that Dickson made the right call to give Care a yellow but deep in the second half many were calling for Care to be given his marching orders again after Care dived on the ball as Saints' scrum half Alex Mitchell went to play it after the Saints made a break.
Dickson blew his whistle and it looked as if he was going to pull out the card but decided against it last minute. Care was substituted just after the incident and was caught smirking towards the sideline in disbelief that he had gotten away with avoiding a second yellow card.
What has fans outraged is that Dickson used be teammates with Danny Care for Harlequins from 2009-2017. Dickson is one of the highest rated officials in England currently and has reffed Harlequins game before.
Care's replacement Will Porter who would score two tries which ultimately gave Harlequins the win at the home of English rugby.
Danny Care Avoids Second Yellow Card From Ex-Teammate
Speaking with TNT Sports after the match Danny Care sheepishly defended the second incident saying he thought the ball was out but neither Ugo Monye or Lawrence Dallaglio was buying it, both believing like the rest that Care was lucky to not be sent off.
💬 "That's the face of someone who knows he's got away with one! 😆"
Danny Care speaks on not receiving a second yellow card from former teammate Karl Dickson...#GallagherPrem | #HARvNOR pic.twitter.com/diKgvsRL1K
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) April 27, 2024
The light-hearted nature of the interview while hinting at a very serious matter of Karl Dickson favouring Care because of their history caught the ire of many online.
Fuxking hell you are actively bringing the game into disrepute here and inciting abuse on a referee but yeah it's all hashtag bantz isn't it?
Absolute state of you.
— Catherine Kavanagh (@KavanaghCk) April 27, 2024
Wonder how @ugomonye @dannycare @dallaglio8 would feel if 3 ,say, Irish or French players/comms guys had a good chuckle over a non decision by a ref who happened to be an old team mate. @rugbyontnt sort it out, embarrassing 🙈
— Bob Depledge (@RJDhowzat) April 27, 2024
Terrible from @rugbyontnt hosts here. How hilarious that Care wasn’t sent off and that meant Porter could come on an score a decisive try. Terrible journalism https://t.co/5Ja147hJFC
— Nick Howell (@nehowell76) April 27, 2024
It's just the latest in what is becoming a long list of refereeing blunders in the English Premiership. It's a worrying trend that the RFU will want to fix sooner rather than later.
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