Watch THREE shocking red cards in one game as Leicester Tigers beat Wasps in Premiership Rugby

THREE shocking dismissals marred Leicester Tigers’ win over Wasps in the Premiership as rugby union’s red-card frenzy continued. Leicester claimed a 27-8 win at Welford Road despite having TWO players sent from the field and finishing the game with just 13 men. Wasps prop Kieran Brookes was also given his marching orders for an illegal […]

THREE shocking dismissals marred Leicester Tigers’ win over Wasps in the Premiership as rugby union’s red-card frenzy continued.

Leicester claimed a 27-8 win at Welford Road despite having TWO players sent from the field and finishing the game with just 13 men.

Wasps prop Kieran Brookes was also given his marching orders for an illegal hit just a day after both Gloucester and Bath had a player sent off.

Barnstorming Tigers No8 Jasper Wiese was the first to go when clearing a ruck as his shoulder smashed into the head of flanker Ben Morris after 26 minutes.

Just a minute into the second-half the TMO again deemed a red was necessary as Brookes made contact with Tomas Lavanini’s head in a two-man tackle.

With just two minutes left in the 80, Leicester flanker Hanro Liebenberg pole-axed Wasps flyer Josh Bassett in mid-air.

The dangerous collision sent the winger head-first into the turf and ref Craig Maxwell-Keys had no option but to issue another red despite Liebenberg appearing to injure himself.

Wiese had opened the scoring with a third-minute try and his ball-carrying was at the heart of Steve Borthwick’s side’s good early work.

His dismissal denied Cyle Brink a try but three Zack Henry penalties gave them a 14-3 half-time lead.

Hooker Julian Montoya’s try after the break and another Henry pen stretched the lead after Tom Cruse had crossed for Wasps.

A late Tommy Reffell score put the result beyond doubt but Leicester were unable to find a fourth try to secure a crucial bonus point.

With five red cards in jus the one weekend of Prem action, Wasps boss Lee Blackett said: “Players will learn and they will adapt, this weekend just seems to be a strange one.”

The sport has seen a flurry of red cards in recent weeks with a renewed focus on contact with the head amid the early-onset dementia cases found in a number of former players.

Red Rose World Cup winner Steve Thompson revealed he can’t remember the historic 2003 triumph and wished he’d never turned pro after being diagnosed with the disease.

Two reds were issued in the first two weeks of the Six Nations with Ireland’s Peter O’Mahony and Scotland’s Zander Fagerson both sent-off for illegal clear-outs.

Fagerson will miss the rest of the competition after copping a four-game ban while back row O’Mahony will sit out the next three matches.

And there was more controversy in the other 3pm kick-off as reigning Prem and European champions Exeter Chiefs were beaten 13-12 by Northampton Saints.

Courageous defence from the Saints had seen them edge an arm-wrestle on a mud-bath of a pitch at Sandy Park.

But Sam Skinner’s score in the corner with a minute left gave fly-half Joe Simmonds the chance to steal the game with a touchline conversion.

However, Saints charged off the line under the impression the double-winning skipper had started his run-up and booted the ball off the tee into the stands.

Referee Christophe Ridley agreed with the visitors and the champs suffered a rare home defeat with Simmonds unable to attempt the kick.

Club captain Jack Yeandle had crossed for the Chiefs while Saints No8 Shaun Adendorff touched down to give his side the lead with Piers Francis adding eight points from the tee.