It is less than four weeks since Northampton’s Calum Clark was suspended for 32 weeks for breaking the elbow of Leicester’s Rob Hawkins. Clark deliberately hyper extended Hawkins’ arm to cause what Richard Cockerill described as “as bad an injury as I have seen on a rugby field”.
Cockerill’s opposite number, Jim Mallinder has admitted he is finding it hard to put the incident and the fallout from it behind him as he prepares to face the Tigers again this weekend. In particular Mallinder has been critical of Cockerill’s outburst, which is seemingly the polar opposite of Mallinder’s reaction to another controversial incident in last year’s Premiership final when Manu Tuilagi was banned for five weeks for punching Chris Ashton. Mallinder’s reaction was far more controlled than Cockerill’s.
Aside from the Clark incident, Cockerill was also involved in a confrontation with Saints’ forwards coach, Dorian West after the game. The West Midlands derby clashes between the two sides have become ever more fiery in recent years and this weekend’s promises to be equally so with both sides in contention for play off places in the final weeks of the season.
With Saints, Mallinder and Clark all adamant that there was no intent to injury in the elbow breaking incident there is bound to be some friction when the two sides meet again this weekend. In spite of the insistence from Clark at the hearing into his misconduct the panel still found him guilty and handed a hefty ban which will see Clark banned from Rugby until November 2.
Clark will be missed in the Saints run in and Mallinder whilst disappointed is hoping his side can respond in the remainder of the season and secure a play off place starting with a result against the Tigers this weekend. He is keen that this tie will be played at the same intensity as recent clashes without the controversy that has marred the side’s recent games.