Munster and Leinster coaches respond to Coombes' allegation

Munster head coach Clayton McMillan and Leinster head coach Leo Cullen have addressed an allegation made by Munster number eight Gavin Coombes during a match at Aviva Stadium. Late in the first half of the interpro clash, Coombes approached referee Andrew Brace to allege he had been grabbed in the groin by a Leinster player during a ruck.

Referee Brace consulted the Television Match Official (TMO), but the review failed to identify the alleged incident, and play continued. While no immediate action was taken during the game, the matter may be investigated by the citing commissioner through the United Rugby Championship (URC) disciplinary process.

McMillan expressed full support for Coombes, stating, “I back our players 100% if they make an allegation like that. They wouldn’t do it lightly.” Conversely, Leo Cullen noted that he did not see anything in the available footage and suggested that Coombes appeared to change his mind during the accusation as the scrum was packing down.