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

Centre Manu Tuilagi was sent off on club duty for Sale Sharks in the first half of the Gallagher Premiership match away to Northampton Saints for a forearm to the head of fellow England international Tommy Freeman

Manu Tuilagi was sent off for this forearm hit on Northampton’s Tommy Freeman

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.

The centre was dismissed just 13 minutes into the Sharks’ Gallagher Premiership match away to Northampton Saints on 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 dismissed the 31-year-old, who could now face a ban of up to 10 weeks for the incident.

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.

Tom Curry made a try-scoring return for Sale against Northampton

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.