Rugby: Tuilagi set to miss season finale after Saturday punch-up

Leicester centre Manu Tuilagi will find out this evening whether he will miss out on the Aviva Premiership final after being cited for punching Northampton wing Chris Ashton.

Tuilagi landed a three-punch combination on the England star in the 32nd minute of Leicester's 11-3 top-flight semi-final success on Saturday, with both players receiving yellow cards from referee Wayne Barnes on the advice of assistant referee Robin Goodliffe.

Tuilagi was fortunate not to receive a red card and independent citing officer Alan Mansell has decided he has a case to answer. The Tigers three-quarter, who turns 20 today, will appear before an RFU disciplinary hearing, chaired by Judge Jeff Blackett, in London tonight and could face a suspension of three to 11 weeks or more, which could rule him out of the Premiership final against Saracens on May 28, but also next month's Churchill Cup.