Alesana Tuilagi's five-week suspension beggars belief

Alesana Tuilagi of Samoa. Photo / Getty

World Rugby's citing and suspension processes have once again been held up for ridicule following the five-week ban handed down to Manu Samoa wing Alesana Tuilagi for, in effect, running into an opponent with the ball.

The incident itself is so innocuous that a citing alone is highly surprising to anyone who has taken even a passing interest in the sport; the fact that he has been banned for five weeks beggars belief, and has raised concerns across a wide spectrum of the rugby community.

The suspension of Tuilagi for his team's final pool match against Scotland and the start of his club season with Leicester is able to be appealed and the hope is that someone from World Rugby sees sense and quashes the whole thing, allowing the 34-year-old to play what will almost certainly be his final World Cup match.

Tuilagi was cited by independent commission Yves Thieffine, a Frenchman, for striking Japan player Harumichi Tatekawa with his knee during Samoa's disappointing 26-3 defeat in Milton Keynes.

The reality is Tuilagi carried the ball into Tatekawa, and the second-five fell backwards. He needed treatment for a shoulder injury soon afterwards but carried on; the incident typical of that played out on countless rugby fields around the world every weekend.

Commentators have made mention of the fact that the act of bumping off would-be defenders was something that turned former All Blacks wing Jonah Lomu into the sport's first big star.

Not surprisingly, Tuilagi denied the act of foul play, but judicial officer Antony Davies, an Englishman, upheld the citing.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but Thieffine and Davies need to get out more, a point of view gaining traction with a wide variety of former international players.

Former England captain Lewis Moody tweeted: "I'm appalled Alesana has been banned for 5 weeks. How is running into an opponent an act of foul play. Should we play walking rugby now!!!"

Former Wales flanker Martyn Williams said: "Crazy decision, seriously think by the time we get to the 2023 World Cup it will be a tag rugby tournament."

Ben Kay, a commentator for ITV and a former England forward, said: "I'm all for making our collision sport as safe as possible, but really? World Rugby I suggest you review this decision."

Others have pointed out the fact that England player Tom Wood escaped without sanction after committing a much worse act of violence. Wood made contact with the head of Wales fullback Liam Williams, knocking him unconscious, yet was free to play the next week against Australia.

- Patrick McKendry in Newcastle