NPR

Leinster and Ireland flyhalf Johnny Sexton has reportedly been hit with a misconduct letter over comments he made towards South African referee Jaco Peyper and his assistants after last month's Champions Cup final.

According to English publication City A.M., Sexton has been charged with three counts of misconduct for his comments aimed at the match officials following Leinster's loss to La Rochelle in Dublin.

Leinster club captain Sexton, who missed the game due to injury, reportedly swore at Peyper and his match officials after the Irish giants were stunned by La Rochelle.

Tempers flared in the Leinster camp after they squandered a 17-0 lead to lose 27-26 to the French club.

After the final whistle, an irate Sexton was seen approaching the match officials, wagging an admonishing finger in the direction of Peyper.

A video obtained by Sunday newspaper Rapport showed Sexton, dressed in a suit after missing the game due to injury, admonishing the match officials.

According to the Afrikaans newspaper, Sexton insulted the officials by saying "you're all a f***ing disgrace".

According to the City A.M. report, the match officials were asked for witness statements and described Sexton's behaviour as intimidating.


Leinster received the misconduct letter last week and will have to respond to the allegations.

Sexton could be banned for up to 10 weeks, and while such a ban is unlikely to affect his participation in the Rugby World Cup, it would impact his preparation for the tournament.

The 37-year-old has been out of action since March with a groin injury.

At this year's World Cup in France, Ireland will contest Pool B alongside defending champions South Africa, Scotland, Tonga and Romania.

Biffer wrote: Mon Jul 17, 2023 5:34 am What an incredible surprise it is that he got a ban just long enough to allow him to play in the RWC. That’s such a coincidence and very convenient for him.

Yr Alban wrote: Mon Jul 17, 2023 11:55 am

Biffer wrote: Mon Jul 17, 2023 5:34 am What an incredible surprise it is that he got a ban just long enough to allow him to play in the RWC. That’s such a coincidence and very convenient for him.

Yep. Certainly never saw that coming.

EnergiseR2 wrote: Mon Jul 17, 2023 12:29 pm It's called the McCaw protocol YMX. Rare but a beautiful thing

EnergiseR2 wrote: Mon Jul 17, 2023 12:29 pm It's called the McCaw protocol YMX. Rare but a beautiful thing

Torquemada 1420 wrote: Tue Jul 18, 2023 8:28 am Remind me what Steve Thompson's ban was for telling Barnes to f**k off.

Torquemada 1420 wrote: Tue Jul 18, 2023 8:28 am Remind me what Steve Thompson's ban was for telling Barnes to f**k off.

SaintK wrote: Tue Jul 18, 2023 8:39 am

Torquemada 1420 wrote: Tue Jul 18, 2023 8:28 am Remind me what Steve Thompson's ban was for telling Barnes to f**k off.

You mean Dylan Hartley and it was 12 weeks and he missed a Lions tour

Slick wrote: Tue Jul 18, 2023 8:32 am

Torquemada 1420 wrote: Tue Jul 18, 2023 8:28 am Remind me what Steve Thompson's ban was for telling Barnes to f**k off.

Absolutely nothing. Disgrace

Tichtheid wrote: Tue Jul 18, 2023 8:59 am Carling is in the right ball park, we do tend to shower ourselves with accolades of great sportsmanship and look down our haughty noses on the plebs that are involved in football, or "wendyball," FFS.

It's a lot of delusional, self-congratulatory bullshit, really

EnergiseR2 wrote: Tue Jul 18, 2023 10:34 am What section of fans don't respect the ref? Ulster fans? Yeah fair enough

Spoiler

Show

Tichtheid wrote: Tue Jul 18, 2023 8:59 am Carling is in the right ball park, we do tend to shower ourselves with accolades of great sportsmanship and look down our haughty noses on the plebs that are involved in football, or "wendyball," FFS.

It's a lot of delusional, self-congratulatory bullshit, really

A slap on the wrist is just fine, is it?

There was a creeping expectation that Johnny Sexton would find his way out of his disciplinary hearing with his retirement World Cup aspirations intact, but even with the previous examples of suspensions being conveniently tailored, this one took the biscuit.

See, he was found guilty on every count. Aggression, misconduct, foul language, abuse towards officials, bringing the sport into disrepute, it was all there. Sexton even admitted it. And he wasn’t even playing: there’s far less recourse to ‘heat of the moment’ pleas when you are up in the stands.

What message does this send? This is a player looked up and idolised to by vast numbers of youngsters, yet he has quite clearly and publicly soiled one of the few remaining advantages rugby enjoys over other sports: namely that we’re respectful of referees.

Now we’re still respectful of referees, but even if we’re not, we get to enjoy the big occasions anyway. Sexton should have had to miss a bigger game for this transgression.

Jim Lahey wrote: Tue Jul 18, 2023 10:28 am

Tichtheid wrote: Tue Jul 18, 2023 8:59 am Carling is in the right ball park, we do tend to shower ourselves with accolades of great sportsmanship and look down our haughty noses on the plebs that are involved in football, or "wendyball," FFS.

It's a lot of delusional, self-congratulatory bullshit, really

Agreed, its utter bollocks.

The respect of the ref and the boozy culture surrounding rugby are my two biggest issues with sections of the fanbase/players.

Sexton has made a show of himself here but generally standards have been falling for quite some time with players giving off to refs, interupting conversion attempts when the crowd starts boo-ing about something they've seen on replay etc..

And "Biggest Drinking XV" sides you see ruck.com and other clickbait bollocks stick out is utter cringe. Or stories about how pissed a few lads got on a Lions tour, or The Hask spilling the beans on escopades whenever supposedly What Goes On Tour Stays On Tour. And the self congratulatory way members of rugby clubs go on about playing games after 12 pints the night before and a fag at half time etc.

Torquemada 1420 wrote: Tue Jul 18, 2023 1:21 pm

Jim Lahey wrote: Tue Jul 18, 2023 10:28 am

Tichtheid wrote: Tue Jul 18, 2023 8:59 am Carling is in the right ball park, we do tend to shower ourselves with accolades of great sportsmanship and look down our haughty noses on the plebs that are involved in football, or "wendyball," FFS.

It's a lot of delusional, self-congratulatory bullshit, really

Agreed, its utter bollocks.

The respect of the ref and the boozy culture surrounding rugby are my two biggest issues with sections of the fanbase/players.

Sexton has made a show of himself here but generally standards have been falling for quite some time with players giving off to refs, interupting conversion attempts when the crowd starts boo-ing about something they've seen on replay etc..

And "Biggest Drinking XV" sides you see ruck.com and other clickbait bollocks stick out is utter cringe. Or stories about how pissed a few lads got on a Lions tour, or The Hask spilling the beans on escopades whenever supposedly What Goes On Tour Stays On Tour. And the self congratulatory way members of rugby clubs go on about playing games after 12 pints the night before and a fag at half time etc.

https://www.royalandderngate.co.uk/what ... bad-rugby/

Tichtheid wrote: Tue Jul 18, 2023 8:59 am Carling is in the right ball park, we do tend to shower ourselves with accolades of great sportsmanship and look down our haughty noses on the plebs that are involved in football, or "wendyball," FFS.

It's a lot of delusional, self-congratulatory bullshit, really

Jim Lahey wrote: Tue Jul 18, 2023 10:28 am

Tichtheid wrote: Tue Jul 18, 2023 8:59 am Carling is in the right ball park, we do tend to shower ourselves with accolades of great sportsmanship and look down our haughty noses on the plebs that are involved in football, or "wendyball," FFS.

It's a lot of delusional, self-congratulatory bullshit, really

Agreed, its utter bollocks.

The respect of the ref and the boozy culture surrounding rugby are my two biggest issues with sections of the fanbase/players.

Sexton has made a show of himself here but generally standards have been falling for quite some time with players giving off to refs, interupting conversion attempts when the crowd starts boo-ing about something they've seen on replay etc..

And "Biggest Drinking XV" sides you see ruck.com and other clickbait bollocks stick out is utter cringe. Or stories about how pissed a few lads got on a Lions tour, or The Hask spilling the beans on escopades whenever supposedly What Goes On Tour Stays On Tour. And the self congratulatory way members of rugby clubs go on about playing games after 12 pints the night before and a fag at half time etc.