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Chabal free to face Pumas

Chabal: Free to face Argentina

France star Sébastien Chabal is free to face Argentina in this weekend's World Cup third-place play-off at Parc des Princes, after being cleared on a charge of dangerous play.

The Sale Sharks forward was cited for a tackle on England's Simon Shaw in Saturday's semi-final defeat for the hosts.

But he has been found not guilty after appearing before a disciplinary hearing on Monday, and will therefore be available to play on Friday.

The judicial officer, Professor Lorne Crerar, explained that he "found it difficult to envisage, in the momentum of the tackle, what else Mr Chabal could have done" to avoid "exerted force in a downwards direction as the opposition player Mr Shaw came in contact with the ground".