Vagana faces hearing over tackle

New Zealand's Nigel Vagana will will appear before a meeting of the three-man Rugby League International Federation Disciplinary Committee on Tuesday charged with an alleged high tackle which put Great Britain's Paul Deacon out of the Tri-Nations.

Vagana will present himself at Red Hall in Leeds following a video review of Gillette Tri-Nations Game Six - Great Britain v New Zealand - by the Tournament?s Match Review Panel.

Deacon needed major surgery after suffering serious facial injuries in the first half of Great Britain's 38-12 win at Huddersfield on Saturday.

Stand-off Vagana was placed on report by referee Tim Mander and the incident was reviewed by a video panel.

It is the second time that Vagana has faced the threat of suspension during the series.

He was cited for an alleged spear tackle on Australian forward Trent Waterhouse in the Kiwis' opening 38-28 win in Sydney but escaped punishment.

Kiwis coach Brian McClennan said his side were also left counting the cost of Saturday's bruising encounter.

As a result, he would have to delay naming his side for Friday's game against France in Toulouse.

"We've got a number of players who took knocks in the Test against Great Britain, so we'll have to see how they progress over the next couple of days before we make any decisions," he said.

"It's a quick turn-around and we've got a fair way to travel to get to Toulouse which adds an extra bit to the puzzle. But our medical team is very skilled."

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More info: www.tri-nations.com.au

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