Sunday 1 October 2017 18:06, UK
England prop Kyle Sinckler has been cited for an alleged eye-gouging incident in Harlequins' Aviva Premiership defeat to Northampton on Saturday.
Sinckler was accused of the offence by Michael Paterson following an incident that took place in the 49th minute, but referee Luke Pearce decided replay footage was inconclusive and awarded a penalty only for removing the Saints lock's scrum cap.
The entry-level sanction for making contact with the eye and/or eye area is a 12-week suspension, threatening the combustible British and Irish Lions tighthead's involvement in England's autumn series against Argentina, Australia and Samoa, which will all be shown live on Sky Sports.
England's second-choice tighthead for the forthcoming Test matches denied any wrongdoing at the time but must appear before a Rugby Football Union disciplinary panel in Bristol on Tuesday evening.
Quins' colleague George Merrick received a citing commissioner's warning from the same match.
This is the equivalent of an off-field yellow card and was issued for an act of foul play contrary to law 10.4 (h), when he charged into a ruck illegally during the closing stages.
Saints won 30-22 at Franklin's Gardens to go to the top of the Aviva Premiership table.
Quins' director of rugby John Kingston robustly defended Sinckler against a claim of gouging afterwards, stating "unequivocally it was not".
