Northampton 8-32 Racing Metro: Dylan Hartley sin-binned as dismal Saints miss out on home quarter final

By Sam Peters For Mail On Sunday

Published: 13:33 EST, 24 January 2015 | Updated: 19:55 EST, 24 January 2015

Dylan Hartley found himself in hot water yet again as Northampton blew their chance of securing a home quarter-final after an abject display.

Jim Mallinder’s men began this game with high hopes of building on an increasingly impressive European campaign by dispatching the French giants and securing an all-important home tie in the last eight.

But what they hoped for and what they got were light years apart. Northampton finished the match resembling a rabble after seeing their defence unpicked time and again with ridiculous ease in a performance which made a mockery of their European ambitions.

Northampton captain Dylan Hartley fell foul of referee again and was sent to the sin-bin

Saints were behind the eight-ball from the moment Hartley — who only returned from the fifth ban of his career in last Sunday’s win over the Ospreys — was sent to the sin bin 14 minutes into the game after failing to release Maxime Machenaud on the floor, despite appearing to be being warned by referee Nigel Owens.

In Hartley’s defence, this was a technical offence and not another of the violent acts which have blighted his career, but it is clear he is now being judged by different standards to other players. He only has himself to blame.

‘Just imagine being me,’ he said after the match when asked if preconceptions about his discipline were clouding referee’s judgment.

‘I did everything I could to prepare for that game. I knew the spotlight would be on me. A player runs over me and I put my arms up and I tackle him. The next thing you know I’m watching the game. Maybe I am being judged differently. But that’s my own doing and I’m the one who has got to deal with it.’ 

Flanker Tom Wood limped off and gave an injury scare to England coach Stuart Lancaster

It remains to be seen if Stuart Lancaster and his England coaches will respond to their first-choice hooker’s latest indiscretion but the groan that greeted his departure suggested even the Northampton faithful are growing weary of their captain’s shocking disciplinary record.

This week Lancaster and forwards coach Graham Rowntree defended their first-choice No 2, but he remains a near-constant yellow-card risk.

Hartley added: ‘I met with Graham Rowntree and went for dinner with him and Alex Waller and Alex Corbisiero. Other than that I’ve had no communication.’

With Hartley off the field, the visitors gained a vice-like grip on the game as Mallinder’s men found themselves on the end of an abject thumping.

To make matters worse, flanker Tom Wood hobbled off early in the second half holding his head in his hands and clearly distressed, making him the latest England player to emerge as a doubt for their Six Nations opener against Wales on February 6.

The defining period of this extraordinary game came either side of half-time when the French side scored three tries in four-and-a-half crazy minutes. 

Northampton's George North is tackled by Mike Phillips of Racing Metro at Franklin's Gardens

In truth, the visitors had already firmly established their dominance long before the hugely impressive Juan Imhoff scurried over for his first try on the stroke of half-time.

Machenaud, who had kicked two earlier penalties, was unable to add the conversion, but the warning shots had been well and truly fired as Racing went in 11-3 in front at the break.

The damage became terminal soon after the break when Imhoff took advantage of George Pisi’s fumble to gather Dimitri Szarzewski’s hack through and sped away from Saints fly-half Stephen Myler to score his second try inside two minutes.

With the crowd stunned, Racing full-back Benjamin Lapeyre scored his side’s third try in rapid succession when he ripped the ball off Luther Burrell — who endured a nightmare afternoon — and scampered over to make it 25-3 after 44 minutes.

Wood, who had been hobbling earlier in the match, was removed moments later as Saints’ afternoon went from bad to worse.

‘Tom has twisted his ankle,’ Mallinder said. ‘Hopefully it’s no more serious than that. He was certainly sore and it was the sensible thing to bring him off.’

Racing’s Welsh centre Jamie Roberts — who completely dominated his opposite man Burrell — completed the try scoring in the 61st minute as Hartley was replaced after Northampton lost their second scrum of the match against the head.

It was that sort of day. Everything that could go wrong for Northampton did. Last year’s home defeat to Leinster was bad, but this was even worse.

Mallinder’s men now face a probable away trip to holders Toulon as one of the best runners-up but on this evidence they have next to no chance of progressing.

‘It’s going to be a tough ask,’ Mallinder said. ‘We’re disappointed.’

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