Rugby: Liam Squire free to play for All Blacks after escaping suspension

Liam Squire. Photo / Getty

All Blacks loose forward Liam Squire is free to play in the test series against France after being cleared of a striking charge in the Highlanders' win over the Hurricanes on Friday night.

Squire cleared out Hurricanes halfback TJ Perenara with his shoulder in the 12th minute of the Highlanders' 30-14 victory, and while he was only penalised for the ruck manoeuvre, the citing commissioner deemed the incident to have met the red card threshold.

However, that citing was then dismissed at the judiciary tonight, with Squire being cleared of all charges.

Squire was alleged have contravened Law 9:12 - "Dangerous Play - Striking with the Shoulder", but Foul Play Review Committee chairman Nigel Hampton explained why the committee decided to dismiss the charge.

"The Foul Play Review Committee found that the Player had legitimately entered the ruck 'through the gate', and not at great speed, with the intent of cleaning out the other Player. The Player had taken up, and held, a correct body position in order to try and effect the clean out, with his upper body and head in a horizontal plane and with both his hands (neither with closed fists) in a position to be able to engage and grapple with the other player around his torso (about the level of the shoulder blades)."

"As the Player entered the ruck, and immediately before he engaged with the other player, that other player was in a head down, bottom up, position facing in the direction of the Player. At the very last moment the other player dropped down on his knees (possibly, in part, as a result of the actions of other players), and brought his upper body, shoulders and head up, directly into the line of the committed Squire.

"The resulting impact between the two, which was not of significant force (and did not require any HIA), was virtually instantaneous. In these circumstances the citing was not made out on the evidence. The player is therefore free to play."

Squire is a likely candidate to start at blindside flanker for the All Blacks, with the 27-year-old set to add to his 15 tests in the first test against France at Eden Park this Saturday.