Ireland and Munster prop Peter Clohessy has been cited by French club Castres for what have been described as racist remarks. The citation comes in the wake of Munster's defeat by Castres in their final European Cup pool match on Saturday at Stade Pierre-Antoine.
Munster have also cited the Castres number eight and Tongan international Ismaella Lassissi for allegedly biting the Irish prop on the arm during the match. Officials for both sides, on behalf of the two players, have denied the allegations.
Patrick Alran, director of rugby at Castres, yesterday confirmed that the player at the centre of their citation was Clohessy.
"We have sent a statement to AFP (French news agency) and that is all for now. I won't be saying anything else," he said when contacted yesterday. When asked whether it was Peter Clohessy who was specifically involved in the citation, he answered: "Yes, it is."
According to British newspaper the Daily Mail, it was Scotland outhalf Gregor Townsend who pointed out to his employers at Castres the alleged remarks. Townsend, who was attending a two-day training session with the Scotland Six Nations Championship squad in Edinburgh was not available for comment.
A European Rugby Cup Ltd spokesman also confirmed that one person on the Munster team had been named in the Castres citation.
The hearing will take place in Dublin tomorrow at 5.30 p.m. at the European Rugby Cup offices at St Stephen's Green. A three-man disciplinary committee has been appointed by ERC chairman Jean-Pierre Lux. Both sides are entitled to bring legal representation with them to the hearing.
Munster yesterday named their three additional players for the knock-out stages of the Heineken European Rugby Cup (ERC).
According to the rules of the ERC the eight quarter-finalists are permitted to add to their squads for the remainder of the competition. Shannon's John Lacey, Garryowen's Tom Tierney and the Ulster contracted front-row Matt Sexton were Munster's three choices.
New Zealander Sexton, with the co-operation of Ulster, was permitted to register for Munster for the remainder of the competition as cover while international scrumhalf Tierney has just returned from injury.
Tierney spent eight months away from the game but last weekend played for the first time this season with his club in their league victory over County Carlow.
Lacey, currently playing full back for Shannon, was most recently involved with the Munster squad at the beginning of the season during the province's warm-up matches against Bath, London Irish and Wasps.
Leinster also named three players to add to their squad, before yesterday's 5 p.m. deadline, ahead of their quarter-final clash with English champions Leicester at Welford Road on Sunday week.
St Mary's College hooker Peter Smyth, having now recovered from a serious brain operation, is added as is Terenure's prolific kicker Richard Governey and UCD's Shane Moore.
Governey, who has been playing outhalf, has kicked 96 points for Terenure in their nine All-Ireland League games played so far this season while Moore plays in the centre for the students.
Moore has been outstanding for UCD where this season he captains the club for a record third successive season. Moore also captained Ireland's under-19 team to the 1998 World Youth championship and last season played for the Irish under-21s.
Smyth is perhaps the most surprising and uplifting appointment. The young front rower spent at least two periods in hospital following a brain tumour and has yet to play for his club this season.
Smyth had been back doing physical work with St Mary's but had not engaged in full-contact rugby. The feeling in the club was that they would have him back on February 23rd to face Dungannon but not before then.
However, given that the European Cup semi-finals are not until the end of April, the talented young player and Leinster could be looking at that as a more realistic date.
