Saracens will contest the red card shown to flanker Justin Melck during their 31-27 Premiership defeat by Leicester Tigers on Saturday.
The 31-year-old South African was dismissed on 44 minutes by referee Greg Garner for appearing to eye-gouge Tigers hooker Neil Briggs, who said the official had made a mistake.
“We are hugely disappointed,” said Sarries director of rugby Mark McCall. “We will look to have it overturned. It was a dreadful decision.”
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Garner consulted touch judge Simon McConnell before sending off the former Munster man, who joined Saracens in February 2009, but the incident was not referred to the television match official.
“It seems very unusual for a touch judge, who is in the position he was in, to make that kind of call and decide not to consult the fourth official,” McCall said.
“Their player did not complain and subsequently said it did not happen. To make a call of that magnitude with 40 minutes left is staggering.”
McCall was backed by Richard Cockerill, his opposite number at Leicester.
“Neil Briggs was the supposed victim and he said there was no eye-gouging,” Cockerill said.
“It was just a hand across the bottom of his face. He said it was a mistake by the officials.
“I don’t think Melck is a dirty player and I don’t think he did it. Hopefully, it will get resolved by the authorities.”