LONDON (Reuters) – England hooker Dylan Hartley looks set to lose his British and Irish Lions place after being sent off for calling the referee a cheat in Saturday’s English Premiership final in which his Northampton team were beaten 37-17 by Leicester.

The incident, at the end of the first half in front of almost 82,000 fans at Twickenham, was the first red card in a Premiership final but Hartley has claimed his expletive-led accusation was aimed at Tom Youngs, his opposite number and rival for the Lions jersey, and not referee Wayne Barnes.

LONDON, May 25 (Reuters) – England hooker Dylan Hartley looks set to lose his British and Irish Lions place after being sent off for calling the referee a cheat in Saturday’s English Premiership final in which his Northampton team were beaten 37-17 by Leicester.

The incident, at the end of the first half in front of almost 82,000 fans at Twickenham, was the first red card in a Premiership final but Hartley has claimed his expletive-led accusation was aimed at Tom Youngs, his opposite number and rival for the Lions jersey, and not referee Wayne Barnes.

LONDON (Reuters) – Leicester were crowned English rugby champions for the 10th time when they beat Northampton 37-17 in an extraordinary final on Saturday as their rivals had captain Dylan Hartley sent off for abusing the referee.

Leicester, appearing in a ninth successive final but who had lost their last two, had the early advantage with a Niall Morris try but the game turned in their favour when England hooker Hartley was shown a straight red near the end of the first half after the referee said he had sworn and called him a “cheat”.

LONDON, May 25 (Reuters) – Leicester were crowned English rugby champions for the 10th time when they beat Northampton 37-17 in an extraordinary final on Saturday as their rivals had captain Dylan Hartley sent off for abusing the referee.

Leicester, appearing in a ninth successive final but who had lost their last two, had the early advantage with a Niall Morris try but the game turned in their favour when England hooker Hartley was shown a straight red near the end of the first half after the referee said he had sworn and called him a “cheat”.

LONDON (Reuters) – A potential glimpse of England’s rugby future will be on display at Twickenham on Sunday when a fledgling team, including three uncapped starters and another six on the bench, take on the Barbarians.

Players involved in the British and Irish Lions tour and Saturday’s Premiership final between Leicester and Northampton were not available for the non-cap match (1200GMT) and coach Stuart Lancaster has used the situation to have a look at many of the youngsters knocking on the door of the senior team.

LONDON, May 24 (Reuters) – A potential glimpse of England’s rugby future will be on display at Twickenham on Sunday when a fledgling team, including three uncapped starters and another six on the bench, take on the Barbarians.

Players involved in the British and Irish Lions tour and Saturday’s Premiership final between Leicester and Northampton were not available for the non-cap match (1200GMT) and coach Stuart Lancaster has used the situation to have a look at many of the youngsters knocking on the door of the senior team.

LONDON (Reuters) – An internet search for “Arjen Robben cuts inside” produces more than two million items, one of them a recent tweet declaring: “That was the 10,000th time Robben has cut inside and shot with his left foot – so predictable”.

Yet, when the Bayern Munich winger bears down the right in Saturday’s Champions League final, Borussia Dortmund’s defenders, if they follow in the misdirected footsteps of so many before them, will still, inexplicably, allow the Dutchman to switch the ball on to his favoured left foot and turn a usually benign situation into a potentially critical one.

LONDON, May 23 (Reuters) – An internet search for “Arjen Robben cuts inside” produces more than two million items, one of them a recent tweet declaring: “That was the 10,000th time Robben has cut inside and shot with his left foot – so predictable”.

Yet, when the Bayern Munich winger bears down the right in Saturday’s Champions League final, Borussia Dortmund’s defenders, if they follow in the misdirected footsteps of so many before them, will still, inexplicably, allow the Dutchman to switch the ball on to his favoured left foot and turn a usually benign situation into a potentially critical one.

LONDON (Reuters) – Leicester run out at Twickenham for a remarkable ninth successive English rugby Premiership final on Saturday where local Midlands rivals Northampton will attempt to prevent them finishing as champions for a record 10th time.

It will be an emotional day for many involved with England’s most dominant club, marking as it does the departure of several stalwart players and staff members and seen by some as the end of an era.

LONDON, May 22 (Reuters) – Leicester run out at Twickenham for a remarkable ninth successive English rugby Premiership final on Saturday where local Midlands rivals Northampton will attempt to prevent them finishing as champions for a record 10th time.

It will be an emotional day for many involved with England’s most dominant club, marking as it does the departure of several stalwart players and staff members and seen by some as the end of an era.