Freddie Burns could find himself with a disciplinary case to answer this week, if rugby’s authorities decide to act on images circulating on social media that appear to show the Leicester fly-half making contact with the eye area of Northampton’s Harry Mallinder.
Burns scored the Tigers’ third try during their 30-24 win on Saturday and, as he crossed the line, Mallinder made a vain attempt to prevent the grounding. Burns took exception to the timing of the challenge and what looked at the time to be a minor scuffle ensued.
However replays appear to show Burns’ hooked fingers making contact with Mallinder’s eye socket as he grabs him on the floor.
Neither Richard Cockerill, the Leicester director of rugby, nor Jim Mallinder, his Northampton counterpart and Mallinder’s father, commented on the incident after the match however the images do not look good for Burns, who enjoyed a fine afternoon.
The Saracens and England wing Chris Ashton was recently banned for 10 weeks for making contact with the eye area of an opponent during his side’s European Champions Cup win against Ulster. Dylan Hartley, the England captain and Mallinder’s club-mate, was banned for 26 weeks for the same offence in 2007.
