Burns gets a bashing for being English!

I never cease to be amazed by the differing ways in which supporters react to players’ indiscretions. When Billy Burns missed touch at the end of the Wales v Ireland game, he came in for some shocking abuse from some so-called fans – including a couple who played the nationality card, accusing him of being English!

- COLIN BOAG

Well, he is by birth, but he’s no less qualified to play for Ireland than the likes of the South Africans Rob Herring and CJ Stander, or the Kiwi, James Lowe, all of whom played on Sunday! And, anyway, Ireland were playingWales, so how was that relevant?

By way of contrast, the man who really cost Ireland the game, Peter O’Mahony, got away relatively unscathed, but then he plays for Munster which ranks him just one step below the level required for beatification!

O’Mahony’s clear-out of Tomas Francis involved diving off his feet and delivering an elbow to the Welsh prop’s face. Most people agreed that Wayne Barnes made the correct decision in red-carding him as this epitomised the kind of reckless clear-out that so many of us want to see eliminated from the game: clearly off his feet, out of control, no real attempt to bind, and a forearm smash built in for good measure!