SAMOA WING ALESANA TUILAGI will miss his side’s final World Cup Pool B game with Scotland, as well as the first four games of the English Premiership, after being handed a five-week ban for an act of foul play.
The 34-year old — who plays his club rugby with Newcastle Falcons — was adjudged to have struck Harumichi Tatekawa with his knee in the early stages of last weekend’s loss to Japan, a defeat that knocked Samoa out of the tournament.
Tuilagi, who won’t be free to play again until 10 November, will miss this weekend’s clash with Scotland as well as Premiership fixtures with Gloucester, Northampton, Exeter and Worcester.
Not everyone is happy, especially not former Samoan international Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu:
While the Pacific Islanders are out of the tournament, Japan could reach the quarter-finals if Samoa beat Scotland on Saturday.