Northampton boss Jim Mallinder claimed Leicester’s England midfield prospect Manu Tuilagi should have been sent off as Saints’ Aviva Premiership Rugby title dream died at Welford Road. Tigers centre Tuilagi escaped with a yellow card after punching Northampton’s England wing Chris Ashton eight minutes before half-time. Ashton, who required treatment as a result, was also sin-binned after an incident that reflected a game that rarely dipped below boiling point. Tigers wing Alesana Tuilagi’s late try confirmed a seventh successive Aviva Premiership Rugby final appearance for Leicester. They will meet Saracens or Gloucester at Twickenham on May 28th. But the 11-3 defeat left Mallinder questioning the decision not to send off 19-year-old Tuilagi junior. He said: “First of all, you can’t have players taking players out, and you can’t be hitting players directly to the head, punching. Chris Ashton did go over and give him a push, but you cannot react with three punches to the head without a red card. “It would have had an effect on the game, because they would have been down to 14 men. But Leicester played well in the second half – it is fine lines. “I think the referee did go to his assistant. All I know is I have seen it, and to me, it is a clear red card. “It’s a big game, live on television and it should be one of the highlights of the Premiership season. I guess the referees and referees’ assessors will have a real good look at it and work as hard as they can to make sure …
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that punch was shit, a big guy like him shouldve knocked him down with a clean hit. It looks good but it was still a gumby punch.
exchanging punches? ashton never even hit tuiagi! 😛
press 3 for Falcon Punch
yep clean punch there but can’t of been that hard, judging by the guy looking ok after it, unless he has a granite chin or something…
wonder why this has so many views? 😉
Credit to that guy he took those punches well
It must be lively in the English squad…
owned
their facial expressions are so funny
0:43
Rugby player planking. LOL.
(I know what hes actually doing, dont hate.)
An absolute joke that Tuilagi only got a 5 week ban.
Of course the leniency of his punishment by the RFU had nothing to with the fact that he was about to get a call up to the England squad…
Love Rugby Union
Yo! All you talking about how that cat can take a punch. Watch the slow mo. His wrist isn’t even solid. He can’t knock out a baby bird in a nest made of cotton.
1:13 Move, MOVEE
Big Bad Tuilagi !!
YOUR FACE GODDAMNIT!
ashton is a hero!!
Ashton did some cheeky little school-boy move of pushing when he was already on the ground (?) what a bean.
Ashtons a tank, love Tuilagi aswell but whata bloody punch!!! Now playing for England with each other…awkward!
wow love the slow mow
and hes the youngest brother?? id hate to see what the other 4 can do :S
Fuckk But They Were Some Severe Slaps Sah :L Unreal :L
Forget the pimp slap and the bitch slap… That guy got MAC PUNCHED.
he is samoan
dis guy just got a haaaadooouuken!!!!
my god rugby players should play soccer it would be super cool!