On this day in 2013: Red card in final costs Dylan Hartley his Lions place
Northampton captain Hartley was red-carded for dissent in his side’s defeat to Leicester.
England hooker Dylan Hartley lost his place on the British and Irish Lions tour when he was sent off in the Premiership final on this day in 2013.
The Northampton captain was shown a red card for dissent shortly before half-time in his side’s 37-17 defeat to Leicester in the climax to the domestic season at Twickenham.
Hartley was alleged to have called referee Wayne Barnes a “f****** cheat” and was subsequently hit with an 11-week ban.
He did not contest his punishment and sat out the Lions’ 10-game tour of Hong Kong and Australia, for which the squad flew out just two days later.
Rory Best was called up as Hartley’s replacement by coach Warren Gatland.
Speaking about the incident years later, Hartley admitted he felt he had let his colleagues and himself down.
“I couldn’t believe what was happening,” he said.
Hartley did earn another chance at the Premiership final the following year and was on the winning side as Saints beat Saracens in extra time.
He captained England to Six Nations glory twice but there were no more Lions opportunities as he was overlooked for the 2017 New Zealand tour. He retired in 2019.
