You'd think Jamie would be used to the insults

There’s nothing like a good old fashioned punch-up or handbag waving contest to get the emotions running high – and an over reaction by the players in both teams.

- Jeff Probyn

Saracens against Munster was always going to be an intense ‘in your face’ game with two of the former European champions hoping to reach the finals crashing into each other in this vital game for who qualifies in the Pool.

Normally, you would expect it to take an illegal physical act like gouging, biting or punching to spark the sort of reaction seen at Alliance Park, especially as it brought virtually both complete teams into the fracas – but this time it seems to have been a few nasty comments.

While it is true that some verbal insults can prompt a violent reaction from the person they are leveled at, they usually don’t get a collective retaliation by the whole team, making this incident quite unusual.

If true, it was just a throwaway insult by Munster’s Dr Jamie Kearns directed at Jamie George for kicking a ball at a Munster player that sparked the incident. It would seem that either tensions within the Saracens camp are far higher than we are led to believe, or that George has had a change in character.

As an established player, I am sure Jamie has had more than his fair share of insults hurled at him from oppositions and spectators, and yet this is the first time he has reacted in such a way.

He is now the first choice hooker for England, and has played in a number of internationals where it is almost a given that at some point you are going to be insulted, and have your character, personality, body image, parents, anything and everything assassinated.