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Citing officer has come to a conclusion about last Saturday's Leicester-Bristol brawl

By PA
(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Players involved in the mass brawl that marred the end of Leicester's Gallagher Premiership defeat by Bristol on Saturday have avoided disciplinary action. Leicester prop Ellis Genge and Bears No8 Nathan Hughes were involved in one flashpoint as tempers flared at the climax of a fractious Mattioli Woods Welford Road showdown.

The final whistle also saw Richard Wigglesworth of Leicester and John Afoa of Bristol tussle near the corner flag, resulting in players from both sides running in and leading the incident involving Genge and Hughes. However, the citing officer has declined to trigger disciplinary proceedings due to no offences reaching the threshold of a red card.

The Rugby Football Union is still looking into the contentious ending that saw Tigers boss Steve Borthwick accuse opposite number Pat Lam of lying during a heated touchline disagreement.

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The argument centred on whether Afoa, who had been substituted earlier, was fit to return to the field after fellow Bristol prop Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro picked up a late yellow card for repeated team infringements at the scrum.

Afoa's half-time withdrawal had been recorded as tactical, but Lam claimed the player was injured and therefore unable to go back on. Borthwick was recorded on pitchside microphones saying: "Pat you just said he was injured. Don't lie, Pat, don't lie. Just don't lie."