Cronin refuses to be distracted by Hartley controversy

Hooker Sean Cronin is refusing to let the Dylan Hartley affair distract him from the job at hand as Leinster prepare to welcome Northampton saints to the Aviva on Saturday evening for a crucial Champions Cup clash.

The controversial England captain was red-carded just six minutes after coming on as a second-half substitute for a reckless tackle on Sean O’Brien in Leinster’s 37-10 win at Franklin’s Gardens on Friday night.

Cronin knows that the English side need a win to have any chance of making it to the knock-out stages and is refusing to be distracted by all the “noise” surrounding the affair, describing the tackle as “rash” but refraining from any further comment.

“He’s a fantastic player, I went up against him a few times,” he told RTÉ Sport.

“He’s had an incredible season - the tour of Australia and their autumn series.

“Look, it was rash. I’m sure there’s no man more disappointed than himself. We have to see what [happens] at the disciplinary process this week.

“It’s kind of just noise to us at the moment. We’re just going to have to get on [with it].

“They’ve a huge pedigree, they’ve a top quality squad.

“They have the calibre of player to come over here and reverse the result at the weekend so that’s all that we are focused on.”

Hartley has already served bans totalling 54 weeks in his career and will learn of his punishment this week, which may even see him miss England’s opening Six Nations game against France and lose the captaincy of the national side.

England head coach Eddie Jones was among the spectators at Franklin’s Gardens but has so far made no comment on the matter.

O’Brien was forced to leave the field but, according to Cronin, suffered nothing more than a stiff neck and should be fit for the return game.

Image: INPHO/Dan Sheridan

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