Colin Stanley, from the Ulster refereeing branch, served as the TMO during the game but was unable to identify any foul play

Citing Commissioner Peter Ferguson will decide whether there is sufficient evidence to proceed with a hearing following Gavin Coombes' allegation of groin grabbing.

Should a player be found guilty at the ensuing disciplinary hearing, they risk being sidelined not only for the Six Nations but potentially for next year's World Cup as well.

World Rugby classifies genital grabbing as serious foul play, placing it in the same bracket as biting and eye gouging.

Incidents are categorised as either top-end, mid-range or low-end, carrying sanctions of 6-96+ weeks, 4-48 weeks and 2-24 weeks respectively.

The fallout from Saturday evening's Leinster victory over Munster could continue for a considerable period if charges are brought forward, reports the Irish Mirror.

The initial suggestion of an issue emerged shortly before the interval when Coombes approached referee Andrew Brace, with their exchange captured on microphone.

He informed Brace he had been the victim of an incident where his groin was grabbed during an earlier ruck. Brace appeared somewhat taken aback as he had not witnessed any incident during play and there had been no discernible reaction amongst the 37,193 crowd.

However, proper procedures must be adhered to, so the referee contacted the television match official to request a review.

Colin Stanley, from the Ulster refereeing branch, served as the TMO but was unable to identify any foul play.

It now falls to Ferguson to conduct a more comprehensive investigation. His role isn't to establish guilt or innocence, but rather to assess whether the matter warrants progression to the URC's independent disciplinary committee.

Following Munster's 24-18 loss, head coach Clayton McMillan commented on the situation, stating: "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 reviewed the available footage before responding: "I don't know. It looked like he'd changed his mind halfway through that accusation as well. So I don't know."

When questioned further regarding Coombes appearing to retract the claim, Cullen elaborated: "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 investigation will now proceed as Ferguson gathers and examines television coverage, including camera angles that weren't accessible to the TMO during the match.

He will additionally request both clubs to submit any recordings they possess, including content from their social media channels, which could prove pertinent to the case. Ferguson will also speak with Coombes, the match officials and the TMO, as well as both captains Tadhg Beirne and Dan Sheehan, and holds the authority to consult any other individuals he considers necessary.

This would encompass any player under scrutiny for potential foul play.

Ferguson has a 50-hour window, beginning from the 6pm kick-off on Saturday, to submit his report. The URC will inform the clubs of their findings before making them available to the wider public.

The incident raises serious concerns, albeit with differing timescales for Leinster and, potentially, Ireland.

A significant ban for an Ireland player could theoretically have implications for the World Cup, which is 340 days away, while the Six Nations opener against France falls on February 5.

Of greater immediate concern is that Ireland face Argentina on Friday week, Fiji on November 14, and South Africa the following Saturday, November 21.