Glasgow Warriors may have to do without Niko Matawalu, their talismanic scrum-half, until at least the end of the year after the 24-year-old Fijian was cited for an alleged biting incident during Friday's RaboDirect PRO12 meeting with Munster at Scotstoun.
The move was confirmed by league officials late last night after Rob Flockhart, the Scottish citing commissioner for the match, had reviewed footage and concluded that Matawalu had a case to answer after appearing to clash with Donncha O'Callaghan, the Munster and Ireland lock, at a ruck. Flockhart also decreed that Conor Murray, the Munster scrum-half, should also be cited for allegedly striking a Glasgow player - believed to be Matawalu - around the same time.
On Saturday evening, Glasgow released a statement to say that they would be drawing the citing commissioner's attention to "a dangerous act of foul play [by] a Munster player against Niko Matawalu." In rugby circles, the statement was widely interpreted both as an attempt to deflect attention from Matawalu and to highlight an element of provocation in his own subsequent actions.
After the alleged biting incident, O'Callaghan was seen to draw the match referee's attention to marks on his arm and to request that the official consult the video referee to review what had taken place beforehand. At the end of the match, which Glasgow lost 6-13, Matawalu appeared to become involved in exchanges with a number of Munster players and left the pitch with his shirt in tatters.
The cases of both Matawalu and Murray are likely to be heard by a PRO12 disciplinary hearing within a few days. Matawalu is also at risk of missing out on Fiji's autumn Test programme next month, while Murray's place in the Ireland squad could be in jeopardy.
Although biting incidents in rugby are rare, and their consequences are rarely serious, the offence is seen as one of the most serious in the game - and attracts correspondingly hefty punishments. According to International Rugby Board regulations, the recommended sanction for a basic offence is a 12-week suspension, although the rules do allow for a four-year ban in the most serious cases.
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