England prop Joe Marler has been cited for striking Wales front row Rob Evans in Saturday's Six Nations victory at Twickenham.
The incident of verbal abuse, in which Marler called Samson Lee “gypsy boy”, is still under investigation with the citing officer having 48 hours after the final whistle to lodge a complaint.
The Rugby Football Union released a statement on Sunday afternoon revealing that Marler apologised to Lee at half-time and was “reminded by (head coach) Eddie Jones of his responsibilities as an England player after the game”.
In the meantime, Marler has been cited for "allegedly striking an opponent in the 15th minute of the first half of the RBS Six Nations match between England and Wales at Twickenham on Saturday 12th March 2016. Law 10.4 (a) applies – Punching or Striking. A player must not strike an opponent with the fist or arm, including the elbow, shoulder, head or knee(s)."
Marler’s citing follows that of Wales’s Tomas Francis and the warning issued to James Haskell on Sunday. The citing commissioner continued his review of the match overnight and considered that the incident in the 15th minute involving Marler should also be the subject of a citing. Marler’s disciplinary hearing will be held later this week.
