Banter.

Danny Care has had his say on the controversial Joe Marler incident over the weekend that saw him grab Alun Wyn Jones by the testicles before subsequently being cited yesterday.

Marler’s Harlequins teammate has defended the England prop stating that he believes it was just ‘banter’ between two players who know each other quite well have toured together with the British and Irish Lions.

But after the game, Jones revealed he was not happy with the incident and made it clear he wanted it to be reviewed by World Rugby.

Marler will now appear before a disciplinary hearing in Dublin on Thursday when he could be sanctioned with a 12-week ban or more.

Here’s whare Care had to say on the BBC Rugby Union Weekly podcast.

“If you know Joe and you’ve played with him or spent a lot of time with him, you know he hasn’t done it in a malicious way,” Care told the BBC’s Rugby Union Weekly podcast.

“You know he hasn’t gone out there to annoy anyone or anger anyone or disrespect anyone. He’s done it in Joe’s way of being Joe.

“Alun Wyn Jones is a team-mate of his from the Lions – I’m pretty sure they’re mates. The scuffle has broken out, Joe’s tried to make light of it and do what he’s done on Alun Wyn Jones.

“When I saw it, I just thought it was two lads messing around who were good mates but I can completely understand the massively split reaction.

“Out of the context of sport and as a bit of banter, it obviously isn’t funny. You put that in any other place of work and there’s going to be some serious repercussions from it.

“I think anyone involved in rugby… things like that are seen as a joke. It’s seen as a bit of banter. I don’t see an awful lot wrong with it.”