ENGLAND A MAN DOWN

Tuilagi wrecks his Six Nations chances

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38 MANU TUILAGI’S hopes of a Six Nations recall with England are in ruins after he was red-carded for a brutal challenge.

On the plus side for Steve Borthwick, Tom Curry proved his fitness for next week’s game against Wales by going the distance and George Ford got half an hour. But Tuilagi’s England future is wrecked.

Tuilagi’s boss Alex Sanderson said the player was ‘simmering’ after being axed for England’s games with Scotland and Italy.

Smash

But the lid blew off after just 13 minutes of this clash when he was sent off for levelling Saints wing Tommy Freeman with a forearm smash.

The Sale centre was carrying the ball, went through one defender before elbowing Freeman with his leading arm.

The red means he will face an automatic disciplinary hearing this week, could be banned for six weeks and his hopes of a regaining his England spot are in tatters.

But Tuilagi (inset) cannot say he was not warned as Sanderson chatted to him this week to make sure his frustration did not boil over. It did.

Sanderson said: “This was a game where he wanted to show how good he still is to England and guys who are watching.

“I’m gutted for him that he never got to do that. It’s a missed opportunity for him.

“Besides from letting his mates down – he knows he has, he’s said it – he doesn’t get to showcase what he’s about and I want that for him.

“He’s gutted. He’s fessing up to the boys in the circle, apologising and saying 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.

“I don’t think it was intentional. I don’t think he went out there to make contact with the head or neck.”

Tuilagi’s red plus yellow cards for lock Cobus Wiese and hooker Evan Ashman ultimately cost Sharks a game that they had led 27-7 just after the break.

Sanderson added: “To go to 13 men for 60 minutes is probably a step too far against an attacking force like them.

“We’re still reeling from a game that we could have won, we probably should have won.”

Whammy

Freeman, recovered from his smack from Tuilagi, started the comeback by waltzing through a defence two men down with Wiese in the bin and centre Matt Proctor closed to 27-19.

Replacement Sam Dugdale looked to have sealed it for Sharks with his close-range score but a double whammy from replacement Callum Braley and centre Fraser Dingwall finished off Saints.

The win was a triumph for keeping their heads instead of forcing the issue.

■London Irish went fifth in the Premiership after beating Bath 25-10 at the Rec. NORTHAMPTON:

RED ALERT: Sharks’ Manu Tuilagi was sent off for his elbow on Tommy Freeman Saracens 13 12 0 1 8 412 287 56 Sale 14 10 0 4 10 386 297 50 Northampton 14 7 0 7 10 400 418 38 Gloucester 14 7 0 7 9 317 326 37 London Irish 14 6 0 8 11 376 342 35 Exeter 13 7 0 6 6 323 310 34 Harlequins 14 6 0 8 10 353 377 34 Leicester 13 5 1 7 8 312 355 30 Bristol 13 4 1 8 9 286 364 27 Newcastle 13 5 0 8 6 298 349 26 Bath 13 4 0 9 8 287 325 24

HOT STUFF: Tom Curry crosses for Sale’s second try Tries: James, Freeman, Proctor, F Smith, Braley, Dingwall. Cons: F Smith (3) SALE: Tries: Reed, T Curry, R Du Preez, Ashman, Dugdale. Cons: R Du Preez (3). Pens: R Du Preez