Ireland and British & Irish Lions prop Tadhg Furlong has been cited for alleged foul play after Gavin Coombes claimed the Leinster forward grabbed his groin during Saturday’s United Rugby Championship match in Dublin.
Furlong started Leinster’s 24-18 victory over Munster at the Aviva Stadium. Coombes raised the incident with referee Andrew Brace during the first half, but the television match official was unable to find video evidence to support the allegation at the time.
The complaint was initially made against an unnamed Leinster player. However, the URC confirmed on Monday that Furlong had been cited under its foul-play regulations.
The relevant rule states that players must not act “against the spirit of good sportsmanship”, including “grabbing, twisting or squeezing the genitals”. The competition said arrangements for the disciplinary process would be made in due course.
Furlong, 33, is a three-time Lions tourist and one of Ireland’s key players. If found guilty, he could miss the country’s November Tests against Argentina, Fiji and South Africa, as well as the Nations Championship finals weekend in London.
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell would be expected to turn to Finlay Bealham at tighthead prop should Furlong be unavailable. Bealham is an established Ireland international and was also part of the Lions squad for their successful 2025 tour of Australia.
Ireland are due to enter the autumn fixtures as the highest-ranked northern hemisphere side in the World Rugby rankings, sitting third behind New Zealand and leaders South Africa.
