Freddie Steward was sent off in Dublin (Picture: Shutterstock)

Freddie Steward, in the opinion of many ex-players, including me, did very little if anything at all wrong in the collision which saw him sent off against Ireland.

As the ball bobbled forward, and Hugo Keenan stooped to collect it, the Englishman had a fraction of second to react. What Steward did is what we all would have done. He changed his body position, turning slightly to the right, and that, unfortunately for both men, meant he led with his left arm.

That arm made contact with Keenan’s head and that, ‘in this current climate’ as referee Jaco Peyper admitted, meant he was shown the red card and the game was all but finished. Playing with 15 men against the world No.1 team is hard enough. With 14 and a backfield exposed after losing your full-back is as tough as it gets.

The concern for many is rugby is being ‘ruined’ by all these red cards. It does, without doubt, change the game but at the same time players’ safety is imperative, and with lawsuits swirling around the offices of World Rugby and countries’ unions, protecting players at all levels has become the key for the sport to survive.

That being said, it was not a red card. Steward did all in his power to avoid contact with Keenan. It was just one of those things that happens in a confrontational contact sport when two 15-stone men run at each other and have to change their minds and direction in a split second.