Tuilagi cleared of dangerous tackle

LONDON — England center Manu Tuilagi will fly out with his teammates for the three-test tour of South Africa on Wednesday after his citing for a dangerous tackle was dismissed by the Rugby Football Union.

The Leicester center was charged for a tip-tackle on Harlequins scrumhalf Danny Care during the Premiership final on Saturday.

But the RFU said in a statement on Tuesday that its three-man panel "was not satisfied on the balance of probabilities that the referee was wrong in not sending the player off."

The statement adds "Tuilagi is therefore free to continue playing and will fly out to South Africa with the England squad tomorrow evening."

England plays South Africa in Durban on June 9, in Johannesburg on June 16 and in Port Elizabeth on June 23.

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Giants cleared of illegal hit on 49er

San Francisco — The NFL on Tuesday said there were no illegal hits by the Super Bowl-bound New York Giants on 49ers return man Kyle Williams during the NFC championship game.

Williams fumbled a punt in overtime of San Francisco's 20-17 loss Sunday, and the misplay set up Lawrence Tynes' winning field goal. Afterward, New York's Jacquian Williams and Devin Thomas indicated they were trying to hit Williams given his history of concussions, including the most recent one sustained Dec. 24 at Seattle that kept him out of the regular-season finale at St. Louis.

League spokesman Greg Aiello said in an email that the Giants did nothing against the rules.

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Morimoto cleared to play in Copa

Brescia, Italy — Catania will release Japan forward Takayuki Morimoto for the Copa America in July, general manager Pietro Lo Monaco said Sunday.

"Morimoto needs to get games," Lo Monaco said at Brescia, where Catania won 2-1 to keep its place in Serie A for next season.

Lo Monaco also said Catania has received an official letter from the Japan Football Association seeking Morimoto's release for the July 1-24 South American continental championship in Argentina.

The JFA has said it needs at least 15 players based overseas to send a team to the Copa America, which Alberto Zaccheroni's side will take part in as a guest.

The 22-year-old Morimoto, who did not even make the bench on Sunday, reiterated his decision to leave Catania at the end of the season.

"There's no way I'm changing my mind," Morimoto said. "I think there are a lot of possibilities, but the important thing for me is to be playing. I feel like I'm in great condition."

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