Springboks midfielder Damian de Allende should not have been shown a red card for his late shot on All Black Lima Sopoaga, Sanzaar's foul play review committee has found.
De Allende was sent off in the final minutes of New Zealand's 25-24 win over South Africa on Sunday morning (NZ Time), and foul play review committee chairman, Nigel Hampton QC, said the offence only warranted a yellow card.
"The charge was late and the player (de Allende) had time to pull out before colliding with his opponent," Hampton's findings say.
"However, the collision was not effected with a great deal of force, with the initial contact being made with the player's forearm on the opponent's chest, from whence the arm rose up to make contact, again not forceful, onto the opponent's neck. The opponent was not injured."
De Allende was issued a warning and not suspended.
