Joe Marler cited for goading James Haskell in Harlequins' victory over Wasps

18 September 2017 08:53

Joe Marler has received a citing commissioner's warning for goading James Haskell in Harlequins' 24-21 win over Wasps.

Marler has been hit with the off-field equivalent of a yellow card, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) has confirmed, for his conducting leading up to Haskell's sin-binning.

Any player receiving three citing commissioner's warnings in a season faces a one-match suspension.

Wasps flanker Haskell was left incensed that Marler received no on-field punishment, claiming his England team-mate had choked him with the strap of his scrum cap and then squirted water in his face.

Haskell reacted to the water squirting by grabbing Marler around the throat, and was duly sin-binned, in Saturday's league clash at the Ricoh Arena.

The RFU confirmed to the Press Association however that Marler's conduct has since drawn the post-match punishment.

Haskell told referee Andrew Jackson that Marler "choked me with my scrum cap" and also "he squirted water in my face" on receiving his yellow card, in Wasps' first Aviva Premiership defeat in Coventry since December 2015.

Quins rugby director John Kingston later admitted he had not seen the incident, but defended Marler's right to his aggressive approach.

Wasps boss Dai Young hit out over the spat however, insisting lawmakers ought to look more unfavourably on players who seek to wind up opponents.

"I think if someone rips your hat off then squirts water in your face, what do you expect? I just thought it was very harsh on James Haskell," said Young.

"There comes a time when you've got to look at the guys that spark these things up, not somebody that's going to take exception to someone ripping their hat off and squirting water in their face."

Source: PA