England centre in hot water for high tackle
DISCIPLINARY NEWS: England’s Piers Francis was cited for foul play on Friday after a tackle that left USA fullback Will Hooley concussed at the World Cup.
Francis will appear before a three-member independent judicial committee in Tokyo, following England’s 45-7 win over the Eagles in Kobe on Thursday.
The centre made the tackle from the opening kick-off in an incident that drew wide commentary on social media.
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His citing comes after Australia’s Reece Hodge and Rey Lee-Lo of Samoa both received three-match bans for high tackles, which are under heavy scrutiny at the Rugby World Cup.
American flank John Quill has also been cited for a late shot on England captain Owen Farrell in the same game.
World Rugby has introduced a new framework for policing high tackles, and the governing body took the unusual step of criticising refereeing standards after the tournament’s first weekend.
Agence France-Presse
