England tour of South Africa
Tuilagi free to tour South Africa
May 30, 2012
Leicester centre Manu Tuilagi sends Danny Care sprawling, Harlequins v Leicester Tigers, Aviva Premiership Final, Twickenham, England, May 26, 2012
Manu Tuilagi escaped sanction for this tackle on Danny Care © Getty Images
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Leicester's Manu Tuilagi is free to tour South Africa with England after he was cleared of committing a tip-tackle on Danny Care in last Saturday's Aviva Premiership final.

Tuilagi faced a three-week ban - the minimum for the offence - had the RFU committee decided the referee should have sent him off. Had that happened then he would have been ruled out of the tour.

A statement issued by the RFU last night said that a disciplinary panel "was not satisfied on the balance of probabilities that the referee was wrong in not sending the player off … Tuilagi is therefore free to continue playing".

"I'm really happy and can't wait to get to South Africa with the squad," he told the Daily Telegraph. "I thought it was a good tackle and I'd like to thank the panel for listening to what I had to say and coming to their decision. It is going to be a massive tour and I am just relieved to be able to take part."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

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