Share

Francis cited for Cole eye contact

London - Wales prop Tomas Francis was on Sunday cited for eye-gouging during the 25-21 Six Nations defeat to England at Twickenham on Saturday.

Francis conceded a penalty after his fingers appeared to make contact with the eyes of England prop Dan Cole at a ruck during the second-half of the decisive clash in London.

South African referee Craig Joubert decided not to take further action as he had only one camera angle replay of the incident to view but in penalising the Wales replacement, he warned Francis that he may face further disciplinary action.

The Six Nations' independent citing commissioner said Francis was cited "for allegedly making contact with the eyes or eye area of an opponent".

A disciplinary hearing will be held next week.

England flanker James Haskell was let off with a warning for "a dangerous 'neck roll' tackle", for which he too conceded a penalty without further action being taken.

England's victory, maintaining their 100 percent record in the tournament, proved enough to win them the Six Nations title for the first time in five years with a match to spare thanks to Scotland's 29-18 win over France on Sunday.

England had dominated for an hour at Twickenham but after Cole was sin-binned, Wales came storming back with two late tries and nearly pulled off an unlikely comeback victory.

England can achieve a first Grand Slam since their World Cup winning year of 2003 if they win next weekend's final match against France in Paris.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1473 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2252 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE