Dean Richards was right. Whatever the continuing rumblings over his approach to player management during Sunday’s compelling Heineken Cup quarter-final contest with Leinster, the Harlequins director of rugby was perfectly entitled, under Exception 1 of Law 3.12 no less, to send his best player, the All Black out-half Nick Evans, back onto the field for the final few minutes as a ‘blood replacement’ for Tom Williams, who suddenly started spouting claret in amounts generally associated with victims of Rocky Marciano.

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