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Cape Town - Leinster flyhalf Johnny Sexton has defended Montpellier counterpart Frans Steyn after the Springbok high-tackled him in a European Champions Cup clash at the weekend.
Steyn received his marching orders in the 27th minute of the clash for a late, high and dangerous tackle on the Irish flyhalf.
Montpellier, who were trailing 14-3 at the time, went on to lose 57-3 at the RDS Arena in Dublin.
Speaking about the incident afterwards, Sexton defended Steyn’s actions:
"I know Frans well and he's a good guy,” Sexton was quoted as saying by the Champions Cup’s official website.
“It looked as though I was ducking down into it a little bit, so it could have been accidental.
"But with these new laws you can't afford to be reckless. It was probably a yellow card before, but now it's a red.
"I felt for him because he's not a dirty player."
The Irish club booked their place in the quarter-finals of the tournament as a result, while Jake White's Montpellier were knocked out.
