Johnny Sexton penalised for aggressive retaliation after Fineen Wycherley tackle

Leinster captain Johnny Sexton was penalised in the opening minutes of the PRO14 champions' trip to Thomond Park on Saturday for retaliating to a tackle from Munster flanker Fineen Wycherley.

Wycherley nailed Sexton after he had passed the ball and the Ireland fly-half reacted angrily to his tackle and appeared to rip his headgear off before slapping him. https://twitter.com/eirSport/status/1079065259867099136 Sexton was given an early warning for his retaliation and later got into it with referee Frank Murphy following Cian Healy's high tackle on Conor Murray. Sexton was irate after a penalty to Munster was not reversed after a brief melee between both sides with Keith Earls dumping Scott Fardy into the turf but Murphy insisted that Healy had to go after a third high tackle in the opening 15 minutes in Limerick. The recently crowned World Rugby Player of the Year was in the thick of everything and tussled with former teammate Joey Carbery after a Conor Murray high tackle on Leinster full-back Jordan Larmour.