Tuilagi cleared to tour SA
England centre Manu Tuilagi will be able to go on his adopted country's tour of South Africa, after being cleared of performing a 'spear' tackle during the Premiership Final defeat by Harlequins.
The 21-year-old Samoan-born back was cited for an alleged 'spear' tackle on Danny Care in last Saturday's 23-30 defeat by his team, Leicester Tigers, against Harlequins.
An RFU statement said: "A citing charge brought against Manusamoa Tuilagi of Leicester Tigers was dismissed.
"An RFU disciplinary panel of Christopher Quinlan (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 Premiership Final between the teams on May 26.
"Tuilagi is therefore free to continue playing and will fly out to South Africa with the England squad [on Wednesday]."
Tuilagi, the younger brother of Samoan internationals and hardmen, Freddie, Henry and Alesana, made the wrong sort of headlines after England's quarterfinal exit in the World Cup by jumping off a boat in Auckland Harbour.
He was also fined for wearing the wrongly-branded mouth-guard at the RWC, but was, arguably, one of his team's best players in New Zealand.
England travel to South Africa next month to play five matches – two midweek games and three Test matches – in what is Stuart Lancaster's first tour as coach.
