James Haskell revealed today he feared for his sight after being eye-gouged by Neil Best.

The London Wasps flanker was in agony after last month's incident, which led to Best being banned for 18 weeks. The RFU disciplinary panel accepted the offence was not pre-meditated but concluded the Northampton forward had “effectively pulled Haskell's head upwards by the eye socket”.

Haskell suffered a corneal abrasion and said: “When an eye specialist tells you it might be permanent, and for two days you are effectively completely blind because you can't open one eye when the other one is so sore, it is worrying. I can read the bottom line of the eye test machine now although it is not perfect yet.

“Once he was punished, as far as I was concerned that was it. Life's too short to hold a grudge.”