Lions prop CJ van der Linde has been cleared of a biting allegation after he was cited for an incident involving Western Force lock Toby Lynn in a Super Rugby match in Perth last Saturday.

Referee Garratt Williamson referred the incident, which occurred at the back of a ruck in the tenth minute, to the citing commissioner by issuing a white card to van der Linde following a complaint by Force captain David Pocock.

He was subsequently cited for alleged foul play.

But the citing was not upheld.

A SANZAR judicial hearing on Wednesday found van der Linde not guilty of contravening the law pertaining to acts contrary to good sportsmanship.

The judicial officer accepted the cited player’s evidence that there was no deliberate intention to bite and that the marks were more consistent with a forearm being used in a levering type motion.