The Leinster-Munster match bad feeling could linger - the sides meet again at Thomond Park on December 27th

Citing comissioner Peter Ferguson will determine if there is a case to be heard with regard to Gavin Coombes’ groin grabbing accusation.

Any player found guilty at the subsequent disciplinary hearing is in danger of missing not just the Six Nations but also next year’s World Cup.

World Rugby describes genital grabbing as serious foul play, rating it in the same category as biting and eye gouging.

Cases are deemed either top-end, mid-range or low-end and carry 6-96+ weeks, 4-48 weeks and 2-24 weeks sanctions respectively.

The repercussions from Saturday night’s Leinster win over Munster could linger for some time if there is a case to answer.

The first inkling there might have been a problem came just before half-time when Coombes approached referee Andrew Brace and was picked up on his mic.

He told Brace he was the victim of an incident where his groin was grabbed at a previous ruck. Brace seemed a little surprised as he had not seen any incident in the run of the play and there had not been any notable reaction among the 37,193 in attendance.

But important protocols must be followed so the referee contacted the television match official to ask him for a review.

Colin Stanley, a member of the Ulster refereeing branch, was the TMO but could not discern any foul play.

Now it becomes Ferguson’s remit to launch a broader investigation.

He is not there to find a player guilty or not but to determine whether the case should be brought forward and heard by the URC’s independent disciplinary committee.

Munster boss Clayton McMillan, when asked after his side’s 24-18 defeat about the incident, said: “It’s one of those things that we leave in the hands of the powers that be.

“All I know is that I back our players 100 percent, that if they make an allegation like that they wouldn’t do it lightly. That’s not the sort of person Gavin is so we’ll see where it goes.”

Blues head coach Leo Cullen had looked at footage and answered: “I don’t know. It looked like he’d changed his mind halfway through that accusation as well. So I don’t know.”

Pressed further about Coombes ‘withdrawing’ the allegation, Cullen continued: “Well, that’s the way it sounded, once the scrum was packing down.

“Obviously, once that accusation is made, it becomes a serious matter for the citing commissioner. So my comment is not going to help in any way here.

“But from what I’ve seen, I can’t see anything. It’s believed the TMO was also unaware of the incident.”

The matter will move on as Ferguson collects and scrutinises the TV footage and also sees some angles that were not available to the TMO at the time.

He will also ask the clubs to forward any footage they have taken, including any from their social media, that might be relevant.

Ferguson will also interview Coombes, the match officials and the TMO, both captains Tadhg Beirne and Dan Sheehan and he has the power to speak to any other individuals he deems necessary.

This would include any player under investigation for possible foul play.

Ferguson has a 50-hour window, starting from the 6pm kick-off on Saturday, before he must submit his report. The URC will notify the clubs of their finding first and before releasing their findings to the general public.

The incident will come with serious concerns, albeit in different timelines for Leinster and, potentially, Ireland.

A hefty suspension for an Ireland player could theoretically involve the World Cup which is 340 days away, while the Six Nations open against France is on February 5.

Of more concern is that Ireland play Argentina on Friday week, Fiji on November 14 and South Africa following Saturday, November 21.