It's not really cheating though is it. He went off at 40 minutes and it was put down as a tactical sub, therefore Bristol are well in their right to bring him back on. Even if they change their mind about whether or not he's injured they technically haven't broken any laws.

Ref wanted Afoa back on, Afoa came back on. Lam wanted to protect his player and buy time, he did that.

Ref should have been stronger. If it was down as a tactical substitution that is it. I also thought Leicester should have had another penalty at the final scrum as Bristol were collapsing. I was left with the feeling all round that Bristol got away with it thanks to unsportsmanlike behaviour. Maybe there is a case for three consecutive penalties at a five yard scrum is an automatic penalty try, not just a yellow card.
It isn't a good look for spectators.
I bet leicester fans left the game feeling pretty let down

Credit to the ref for being like a dog with a bone. Not Pat Lam’s finest moment!

While I agree that Uren was illegal there, any decent official would have penalised Genge in that scrum. He got destroyed and ended up facing his own corner flag, with the Bristol back five driving straight and the tigers one running round. Should've been a Bristol penalty regardless of what Uren then did.

Borthwick's anguished braying was pretty funny, especially as he was demanding that Afoa not go back on even though he was clearly fit and that it was a tactical sub originally...

The ball was out.  The 8 realised and try to get it back in but the ball had come out the back of the scrum.

I don’t see how Bristol cheated? They either go down to 13 or stay at 14......think the team manager made a mistake on the card by looking at his reaction.

The ball was out.  The 8 realised and try to get it back in but the ball had come out the back of the scrum.

I don’t see how Bristol cheated? They either go down to 13 or stay at 14......think the team manager made a mistake on the card by looking at his reaction.

Bristol clearly tried to claim that Afoa was injured when he wasn't, and gained some advantage from doing so by giving their beasted pack a few minutes rest. Had they continued to claim he was injured and the game had gone to unconstested scrums, the cheating would've been worse - as it was, it's more like extreme gamesmanship.

Anyway, very funny ending and I thoroughly enjoyed it

I'm not sure about any of it really. The sub was down as tactical so by the letter of the law Afoa has to come back on, and borthwick seemed happy with that. Then Lam comes out and says Afoa is injured so shouldn't go back on, gets informed that a player will need to still come off and go down to 13 (also uncontested scrums have to have 8 men meaning that Leicester would have had 7 Vs 5 in the back line). From what I have seen (admittedly from only two quick run throughs) Lam agrees to that but the ref persists that it is down to the team manager and what was written down as tactical so Afoa must come back on. Only at this point does Borthwick get angry because he has then realised the massive advantage they would have got if Afoa couldn't come back on.

In my opinion Lam very nearly lost Bristol the game through trying to keep Afoa off the pitch and the team manager saved them by putting it down as tactical.

Anyway that is just my view.