Jim Mallinder has admitted that it was "disappointing" to see Dylan Hartley get sent off during Northampton Saints' win over Leicester Tigers.
The hooker was dismissed for an elbow of Matt Smith early in the match, but Saints rallied to secure a 23-19 win in the Aviva Premiership.
The Saints' director of rugby told BBC Sport: "It was a tremendous, spirited performance. Not just relying on spirit and guts but also a lot of technical and tactical work.
"In terms of the red card it is disappointing. Dylan has to keep his arms down but he's being held and I don't think there is any malice in it. The nature of the game didn't justify a red card. I think Smith went down pretty easily, which was disappointing.
"I think the referee's initial decision [before the video referee ruled that it was a red card offence] of a yellow card would have been the correct decision."
The result leaves Northampton two points clear at the top of the table.
Sian Cowper
