Tadhg Furlong has been cited for foul play during Leinster's URC victory over Munster

Leinster and Ireland star Tadhg Furlong has been cited for foul play during the Blues’ URC win over Munster at the Aviva last Saturday.

A terse release from the URC on Monday revealed: “The Citing Commissioner in charge 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.”

Law 9.27 covers just three specific acts of foul play: gouging/contact with the eye area, biting and twisting/squeezing/grabbing genitals.

Should an Independent Disciplinary Committee find a player guilty, it must first judge whether the offence is low, medium or high end and then applies a penalty from within each category’s range.

Low-end suspensions can vary from 2 to 24 weeks, mid-range from 4 to 48 weeks, top-end from 6-96+ weeks.

Meanwhile, Leinster’s forwards Coach Robin McBryde says they have further looked over the footage available to them again and still can’t identify any foul play.

This at a time when there are those claiming Munster have found ‘the angle’ that proves the contrary, that there was foul play.

Without a comprehensive viewing of what the URC’s Independent Disciplinary Committee have before them, it is a case that looks very hard to call.

“It’s going through that process, so just let it take place, really,” says McBryde.

“I haven’t spoken to Tadhg. There’s a process there for things like this.

“I know Tadhg. If I was asked to give him a character reference, I wouldn’t hesitate. He’s got no history of anything like that.

“We’re playing guessing games if anybody wants to comment on it, other than Tadhg, really, just let the process take its course.”

Leinster and Ireland both have vested interests here - although the international side could feel the bigger short-term sting.

The Blues have a game with Connacht in Galway on Friday - but Furlong’s following four prospective engagements are then with Ireland.

Ireland boss Andy Farrell has already included tight-head Furlong in the 36-man squad for Argentina (November 6), Fiji (November 14) and back-to-back world champions South Africa (November 21) and the following week’s crossover Nations Championship finals game.

The date of the hearing has yet to be confirmed but it will most likely be heard before the end of the week. Leinster, clearly, hope it will go well for their man and he is cleared.

"Yeah, of course," added McBryde. "You’d like to think of the good character Tadhg has shown over all the years.

“To my knowledge, nothing like this has come his way so, you know, I’d be confident in that. It is what it is.

“Like I said, there’s a process for that to go through. That’s been set in place, so let that process just take its course.

“I have no idea (of the date). We don’t know the details of that yet.”