Ireland forward Tadhg Beirne will face a disciplinary hearing this week, most likely on Tuesday, after receiving a red card in the defeat to New Zealand on Saturday.
The Munster lock was given a yellow card, with a bunker review, for an upright challenge on All Blacks out-half Beaden Barrett in the third minute of the game, which Ireland lost 26-13.
The decision to sin-bin the 33-year-old took just under five minutes, due to technical issues, from the initial challenge to referee Pierre Brousset brandishing a yellow card .
Foul play review officer Dan Jones from England later informed the French official that the challenge warranted a red card, which meant Ireland had to play 20 minutes with 14 players.
Stopping the play with nine minutes 28 seconds on the clock, the referee called the two captains over to explain, while the camera cut to Beirne (below) on the sideline, who looked shocked when informed of the decision.
"The yellow card has been upgraded to red because high level of danger and always illegal action," he said to protests from captain Dan Sheehan, who claimed the pass to Barrett was forward and should be a mitigating factor.
Ireland actually weathered the spell before replacement Iain Henderson was allowed to come on and were ahead 10-7 at that point.
However, the call denied Ireland Beirne's influence for the remainder of the game.
The Kildare man was named British and Irish Lions best player on their summer tour, while he had also starred for Munster in their recent URC win against Leinster.
Speaking after the game, Barrett said: "Tadhg had no option. He didn't intentionally put a shoulder on me.
"I can't hide from the fact that I copped a shoulder to somewhere up there (his head). That's what happened.
"But I'll support him in terms of mitigating whatever happens next.
"I don't feel there's any intention there, it's just unfortunate. He may have only deserved a yellow."
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell was also bemused by the decision.
"I am all for the safest way forward for this sport but if you look at it in real time, I don't know how it was transformed to [red]," he said.
World Rugby Law 10.4 (e) states: "A player must not tackle (or try to tackle) an opponent above the line of the shoulders even if the tackle starts below the line of the shoulders. A tackle around the opponent’s neck or head is dangerous play.
"A stiff-arm tackle is dangerous play. A player makes a stiff-arm tackle when using a stiff-arm to strike an opponent."
Law 9.11 states "players must not do anything that is reckless or dangerous to others".
Penalties under this range from the low point of two weeks, a mid-range of six weeks, to a maximum of 52 weeks, while it is pointed out that "any act of foul play which results in contact with the head shall result in at least a mid-range entry point sanction."
Beirne, who had never received a red card before, may well be able to argue his case that a yellow card was sufficient and therefore be free to play in Saturday’s game against Japan at Aviva Stadium.
Ireland also face Australia and South Africa in the Autumn Nations Series later this month.
Watch Ireland v Japan in the Quilter Nations Series on Saturday from 12pm on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on the RTÉ News App and on rte.ie/sport. Listen to live commentary on RTÉ Radio 1 Extra
