La Rochelle head coach Ronan O'Gara is to be summoned before a disciplinary panel following his touchline row with Christophe Urios.
The pair had a heated exchange, and had to be separated, during last weekend's 16-15 for La Rochelle away to Urios' Bordeaux-Begles side.
Just prior to half-time O'Gara was celebrating an incident on the sideline, before exchanging heated words with Urios. They then went head-to-head, with Urios seeming to attempt a slap on the ex-Ireland and Munster out-half.
Not willing to let sleeping dogs lie, Urios went in hard on O'Gara during his post-match press conference.
"This guy. He’s insufferable," said the former prop, "It’s a shame the officials didn’t do their job. How did he get onto the field?
Christophe Urios and Ronan O'Gara
⚔️🔥 #UBBSR #TOP14 pic.twitter.com/rpIaXN289c— Ottavio Arenella (@OttavioArenella) April 2, 2022
“He’s in the stands causing trouble up there. He comes down to the pitch and causes trouble there as well.
“Yes ]he wound me up] as he does every time. But I’ve moved on. I don’t care about O’Gara.
“There was tension. Good. So there will be some for the next four halves.”
Indeed, the two sides are scheduled to meet twice more over the next couple of weeks, as they've been drawn together for the last-16 in the Heineken Champions Cup.
According to RMC Sport, the officials for their fiery Top 14 clash have included the touchline incident in their match report.
O'Gara and Urios should expect to appear before an LNR disciplinary committee on Wednesday, April 13.
Neither coach is a stranger to censure. While working with Racing 92 in 2017, O'Gara was handed a ten-week ban for comments made about match officials following a game with - ironically - La Rochelle.
Later that same season Urios picked up a four-game suspension for an argument with then Toulon head coach Fabien Galthié.
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