Manu Tuilagi: England centre facing ban after red card for Sale Sharks in Gallagher Premiership

Manu Tuilagi's hopes of representing England in this year's Six Nations were dealt a further blow after a red card while on club duty for Sale Sharks in their 38-34 defeat to Northampton Saints.

The centre was dismissed just 13 minutes into the Sharks' Gallagher Premiership match Saturday following a forearm to the head of fellow England international Tommy Freeman while carrying the ball.

Referee Ian Tempest consulted with the TMO in the wake of the incident and sent off the 31-year-old, who could now face a ban of up to 10 weeks for the incident.

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"He is gutted," Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson said of Tuilagi. "He's apologised and said he owes us.
He fully owns what happened out there and that's the kind of man he is.

"I know he will pay us back but all of that is tough to take when you're still reeling from a game that we could have won and we probably should have won.

"This was a game where he wanted to show how good he still is to England and those guys who are watching. I'm gutted for him that he didn't get to do that, he didn't get to showcase what he's about and I want that for him."

Under RFU disciplinary regulations, leading with the forearm carries a minimum suspension of two weeks/matches, with a mid-range offence carrying a minimum ban of six weeks/matches and the top end being 10-plus weeks/matches.

Tuilagi has found himself out in the cold in the early part of recently-appointed England head coach Steve Borthwick's reign, and a lengthy ban would do little to encourage Borthwick to reconsider.

Despite featuring in all of England's Autumn Nations Series games last November, he was left out of the matchday 23 in the defeat to Scotland and the win over Italy during the opening two rounds of this year's Six Nations.

Tuilagi was not included in Borthwick's 26-player squad for a three-day training camp earlier this week either ahead of the trip to face Wales in Cardiff on Saturday February 25.

England then welcome France to Twickenham on Saturday March 11 followed by travelling to Dublin to take on Ireland in the final round of matches on Saturday March 18.

However, there was some good news for Borthwick at Franklin's Gardens as flanker Tom Curry made a try-scoring return to action for Sale after missing the matches against Scotland and Italy due to a hamstring strain.

That had come after Arron Reed had put the visitors ahead, with Rob du Preez and Ewan Ashman crossing as well to help the away side into a 24-7 lead at the break. Northampton, whose first-half converted try came from Tom James, fought back after the break though as yellow cards for Cobus Wiese and Ashman took their toll.

Freeman, Matt Proctor, Tom Collins and Fraser Dingwall all went over for the Saints along with them being awarded a penalty try, although Sam Dugdale's score ensured Sale came away with a losing bonus point.

Elsewhere, London Irish strengthened their credentials for a top-four finish in the Premiership with a comfortable 25-10 victory that ruined Bath's homecoming to the Rec after a seven-week absence.

Tries by Paddy Jackson, Ben White and Bernhard van Rensburg wrested control of the game as Bath had three players sin-binned, leaving them with 13 men at one stage in the second half. Jackson also contributed two conversions and two penalties.

Unusually, Bath were kept scoreless in the second half after a try by Josh Bayliss, converted by Ben Spencer, who also kicked a penalty.

Ruaridh McConnochie was the first player to be sent to the sin-bin with the hosts under pressure on their own line, followed by Spencer being shown a yellow card for a cynical offside. He was followed by Fergus Lee-Warner following a late tackle from the second row.