Leicester Tigers say 'sanity prevailed' as Manu Tuilagi is cleared of dangerous tackle charge

The Leicester Tigers centre is free to play this weekend after his tackle on Munster flanker Chris Cloete was not deemed to be worthy of a red card

Manu Tuilagi has been cleared to play this weekend after a citing against him was dropped (Getty)

Leicester Tigers have said “sanity prevailed” after Manu Tuilagi was cleared to continue his latest comeback from injury, following a citing for a dangerous tackle was thrown out on Wednesday, with the hit on Munster’s Chris Cloete not deemed worthy of a red card.

The 26-year-old England international was cited following his first match back from a three month injury absence after his tackle on flanker Cloete was judged by the match citing commissioner, Jeff Mark, to be worthy of a red card.

But a disciplinary hearing in London on Wednesday decided that the tackle, which saw Tuilagi’s shoulder make contact with Cloete’s head as he ducked down, decided that the incident was not a red card offence, meaning that Tuilagi is clear to play for Leicester against Saracens on Christmas Eve – though he was given a warning by the commission.

Watch the incident below...

Leicester’s director of rugby, Matt O’Connor, was satisfied with the decision. ”We’re really thankful because Manu has just had a much publicised lay-off from the game and is back fit and had got through a quality 80 minutes,” O’Connor told BBC Sport.

“After his first game back it would have been devastating for him and the group if he was to miss more games, but thankfully sanity prevailed. I was very surprised when the citing came though. There was no malicious intent, it wasn’t particularly high. It was a pretty sound tackle from our perspective.”

A statement issued by European Professional Club Rugby read: “The committee found that Tuilagi had committed a reckless act of foul play in that his shoulder had made contact with Cloete’s head, however, the committee was not satisfied that the offence had warranted a red card.

“The citing complaint was therefore dismissed and Tuilagi is free to play.”

The news is a huge boost for Leicester, who welcomed Tuilagi back for only his third appearance of the year last weekend alongside Australia centre Matt Toomua, and head coach Matt O’Connor will be able to call on the 26-cap England international for this Sunday’s visit of Saracens to Welford Road.

Had Tuilagi been found guilty of the charge, he faced a ban of at least two weeks, which would’ve ruled him out of the rest of the calendar year, and any longer suspension would have significantly impacted his hopes of earning an international recall from Eddie Jones for next February’s Six Nations opener against Italy on 4 February.

However, the citing drew criticism from former British and Irish Lions captain Brian O’Driscoll, who claimed that the charge was not justified and threw the state of rugby union into jeopardy if he received a subsequent ban. He wrote on Twitter: “I think the game has gone soft if we’re picking up on marginal collisions like the Manu Tuilagi tackle he’s been cited for.”

Tuilagi will hope to force his way into Jones’ Six Nations plans, with the head coach set to name his squad at the end of the month for a training camp in Brighton on 2 January. The centre has made just one international appearance in three years due to a string of serious injuries, but his return – alongside fit-again Toomua – has handed the Tigers a significant boost in their hopes of breaking into the top four in the Premiership.