Manu Tuilagi: Looks set to be cited

The Tigers marched into their seventh successive Premiership final at Twickenham after a bruising 11-3 triumph over Northampton that ended Saints' hopes of achieving a domestic and European double.

But Leicester's England World Cup midfield candidate Manu Tuilagi looks likely to miss the May 28 showpiece, while Tigers coaches Richard Cockerill and Matt O'Connor might also find themselves in hot water.

Tuilagi, 19, can expect to be cited for punching Northampton and England wing Chris Ashton eight minutes before half-time.

The incident saw both players sin-binned by referee Wayne Barnes following a discussion with his assistant Robin Goodliffe, but such was Tuilagi's behaviour that it clearly warranted a straight red card.

Cockerill and O'Connor, meanwhile, ensured an uncomfortable afternoon for watching RFU referees' assessor and former international official Brian Campsall, who was subjected to both coaches furiously voicing their displeasure at Barnes' performance.

Campsall was sitting just a few seats away from them - in the same area of the grandstand as England boss Martin Johnson and next to England forwards coach John Wells - and RFU disciplinary officer Jeff Blackett will undoubtedly be made aware of what happened.

Blackett wrote to Cockerill last year warning him about his future behaviour after an impassioned performance during a play-off game against Bath.

And former Saracens boss Brendan Venter was handed a 10-game matchday coaching ban for histrionics in a league match against Leicester last season, which meant he missed the Premiership final that the Tigers won 33-27.

Cockerill said: "Sometimes I find some of the decisions frustrating."

Asked during the post-match press conference if his behaviour towards Campsall had been appropriate, he added: "Probably not. No." And when asked what he was going to do about it, Cockerill replied: "Yeah, probably not do it."

Cockerill claimed he did not see the Tuilagi incident, and grew increasingly exasperated about suggestions that it might have been the turning point of a semi-final his side sealed through wing Alesana Tuilagi's try eight minutes from time.

He said: "I was watching the ball, but the assistant referee clearly saw it and deemed it as a yellow-card offence.

"That was a good performance against a really good side. Let's talk about that shall we? Let's talk about how we controlled the game, let's talk about Alesana's try, let's talk about the scrum contest, not all the crap you boys want to talk about and make headlines out of.

"He (Manu Tuilagi) is a quality young player who does what he does exceptionally well. We will have to see what happens. We are guessing, aren't we?"

Saints rugby director Jim Mallinder though, had no doubt what course of action the officials should have taken.

"Chris Ashton did go over and give him a push, but you cannot react with three punches to the head without a red card," said Mallinder.

"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. What did Ashton get a yellow card for - pushing?

"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 it doesn't happen again."

The game had a simmering undercurrent throughout, with the tone set early by England team-mates, Leicester fly-half Toby Flood and Northampton skipper Dylan Hartley, when Hartley's questionable tackle on the Tigers number 10 provoked a furious reaction.

Flood said: "When Northampton get on the front foot they are a very dangerous side, but we tried to snuff that out at source.

"They want to get in your face, and our mindset before the game was not to take a backward step. It's a trademark of the side - it is in the blood in terms of what this club is about and its culture.

"You understand that teams want to put pressure on the (opposition) fly-half."

Saints, beaten for the fourth time in a Premiership semi-final, have now got to recover for next Saturday's Heineken Cup final against Irish heavwyeights Leinster in Cardiff.

But Mallinder added: "It is very simple now. It's about one game of rugby, and we don't really want to have played all this good rugby this season and come out of it with nothing."