Dylan Hartley, the Northampton and England hooker, may have put his Lions spot in serious jeopardy with indiscipline during today’s Aviva Premiership final.

Hartley was dismissed by referee Wayne Barnes for, as Barnes put it to the player, calling the referee “a f***ing cheat.”

Hartley was red carded for the incident and can now most likely expect an extended ban, possibly several weeks long. Should that be the case it would make it highly likely that Warren Gatland will choose to drop Hartley, in favour of having a full squad available for the duration of the tour.

The news will be a boost to Ulster’s Rory Best, as he is the most likely replacement for Hartley, should he be dropped.