Tadhg Furlong has been cited for an alleged incident that occurred in the 37th minute of Saturday’s URC game between Leinster and Munster.
The Leinster prop’s citing follows a complaint by Munster number eight Gavin Coombes during the game that he had been grabbed in his groin area.
It is likely that Furlong will face a disciplinary hearing this week.
The match citing commission, Peter Ferguson of the IRFU, had a 48-hour window from the conclusion of Saturday’s game to decide whether there were any grounds to cite any players.
It is understood he spoke with players from both squads and having read the report of referee Andrew Brace and studied video footage, a URC statement at 2pm on Monday confirmed that Ferguson “has made a complaint about an act of foul play by the Player (Tadhg Furlong No 3) against opponent Gavin Coombes (No 8).
“The Player has been cited under Law 9.27 – A player must not do anything that is against the spirit of good sportsmanship including but not limited to grabbing, twisting or squeezing the genitals.
“Arrangements for the disciplinary process are currently in progress and will be announced in due course.”
Furlong and the rest of the 37-man Ireland squad are in training camp ahead of the forthcoming Nations Championship and the likeliest date for a disciplinary hearing is probably this Wednesday.
The incident occurred during a long passage of Leinster multiphase attacking in the 37th and 38th minutes, after which Brace called for a time off and informed both captains that he had asked for a review with his TMO Colin Stanley.
“It’s a big accusation. I don’t know who it is but I’m going to check it. Colin, I’m coming to you. I’ve an accusation of number eight red that he’s been grabbed in the groin area so we just need to check if there’s any foul play. If there’s not then we’ll refer it to a citing commissioner.”
Stanley asked him: “Do we have a phase of play?”
Brace responded: “In that last ruck there he [Coombes] said.”
That is significant, for it transpires that the alleged incident happened at a ruck two or three phases earlier, not at the last ruck, which was what the officials were told to review.
Munster’s Gavin Coombes in action against Leinster. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho
The Munster captain Tadhg Beirne said to Brace: “It’s a big accusation.”
“Yeah, 100 per cent, that’s why I’m reviewing it,” Brace said.
Informed by Stanley that he could see no evidence to substantiate the allegation based on the camera angles he had been shown, Brace orders the game to restart, telling Beirne: “Tadhg, nothing clear mate. The citing commissioner will have to deal with it.”
However, it has since come to light that camera angles from a ruck two or three phases before “the last ruck” have indicated there is at least a case to answer. It is also understood that Coombes fully stands by his allegation.
Ironically, it was almost a year to the day since the Bulls’ hooker Jan Hendrik-Wessels was handed a nine-week suspension for grabbing the testicles of Connacht’s Josh Murphy during a URC game in October last year at the Dexcom Stadium. The match-citing commissioner that day in Galway was also Ferguson.
Unlike last Saturday, when there had been little reaction on the pitch, Murphy immediately punched Wessells in response to the alleged groin grab, and the Connacht lock was sent off. That red card was subsequently overturned and the Springboks’ hooker was cited and suspended for nine weeks on the balance of probabilities rather than video evidence, much to the annoyance of the Bulls, South African supporters and Rassie Erasmus. Wessels’ ban was reduced by only one week following his appeal and he was ruled out of their end-of-year tour.
The South African supporters and Erasmus et al will no doubt be monitoring this case closely and demanding similar punishment for Furlong, which would rule him out of the forthcoming Nations Championship northern series, including Ireland’s game against the Springboks at the Aviva Stadium on November 21st.
Were Furlong ruled out of the forthcoming Test window, Andy Farrell would need to supplement his remaining tightheads, Thomas Clarkson and Sam Illo, possibly with the latter’s fellow Connacht man Finlay Bealham.