Manu Tuilagi free for England tour after RFU dismiss tip-tackle citing

Manu Tuilagi has escaped punishment after being cited for an alleged tip-tackle in last weekend’s Aviva Premiership final, and will jet out with the rest of the England squad to South Africa today.

There had been fears that the impressive Tuilagi would miss Stuart Lancaster’s first tour as England coach after he was cited for an alleged tip-tackle on Danny Care during the match between Leicester and Harlequins.

But after a two-hour meeting at a hotel in Bristol, the charge against Tuilagi was dropped after a three-man Rugby Football Union disciplinary committee ruled they were “not satisfied” that Tuilagi should be penalised.

An RFU statement said: “A citing charge brought against Manusamoa Tuilagi of Leicester Tigers was tonight dismissed.

“An RFU disciplinary panel of Christopher Quinlan QC (chair), Dan White and Nick Dark was not satisfied on the balance of probabilities that the referee was wrong in not sending the player off for a tackle on Harlequins’ Danny Care during the Aviva Premiership final between the teams on 26 May.

“Tuilagi is therefore free to continue playing and will fly out to South Africa with the England squad tomorrow evening.”

Lancaster said after Sunday’s comfortable Twickenham victory that he was confident Tuilagi would not face a major problem and has been proved correct.

The decision means the powerful 21-year-old will be available for games against the Springboks in Durban, Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth next month, plus two midweek tour matches.

Tuilagi had been reported by citing officer John Byett, and would have faced a minimum three-week suspension if he had been found guilty – enough to rule him out of the tour, for which he was due to be assigned a key role.

Tuilagi, one of England’s outstanding performers during the RBS Six Nations campaign this season, is no stranger to controversy.

He was banned for ten weeks after punching Northampton and England wing Chris Ashton during a Premiership semi-final at Welford Road last season, although that suspension was reduced to five weeks on appeal.

And during England’s ill-fated World Cup campaign in New Zealand last autumn, Tuilagi received a £3,000 fine for jumping from a ferry into Auckland Harbour and a £4,800 punishment from the International Rugby Board for wearing a sponsored mouthguard during the tournament.

Tuilagi’s Leicester team-mate Toby Flood, meanwhile, came through a full training session with England yesterday to prove he is fit for South Africa.

The stand-off has been sidelined since damaging his ankle against Bath on 5 May and was withdrawn from the Aviva Premiership final with a tight groin.

But Flood looked sharp as the England touring squad were put through their attacking paces ahead of today’s departure for Durban.

Flood, who has not started a Test at No 10 since the World Cup game against Georgia, will compete with Owen Farrell and Charlie Hodgson for the position in England’s three-Test series.

It was not all good news for England coach Lancaster yesterday, after prop Matt Stevens was ruled out of the tour with a shoulder injury suffered in Sunday’s win against the Barbarians. Stevens damaged his rotator cuff and has been replaced in the squad by Gloucester tight-head Rupert Harden, who was preparing to leave for Berlin on a friend’s stag do when he received the call-up.

The 26-year-old played for the Saxons against the Irish Wolfhounds and Scotland A in January and has established himself as the Cherry and Whites’ first-choice tighthead prop this season.

Harden did not arrive at Pennyhill Park until yesterday afternoon and his first training run finished with a gruelling session on the altitude bike to prepare him for South Africa. Stevens may not require an operation but the injury requires four weeks of rehabilitation.

Lancaster said: “It’s really tough on Matt but he has been assessed by the medics and he wouldn’t be able to train or play for some time. We wish him all the best but it’s a great opportunity for Rupert, who has been the first-choice tight-head for Gloucester this season and also involved in the Saxons during the Six Nations.”

The loss of Stevens leaves Lancaster with a selection conundrum for the Test series, given the Saracens prop is capable of covering both sides of the front row. Northampton’s Paul Doran-Jones can perform the same role but that would potentially mean one of Alex Corbisiero, England incumbent loosehead, or the in-form Joe Marler missing out on the Test squad.