Overview
- Irish rugby authorities confirmed Aki did not travel to Portugal for disciplinary reasons and that they are conducting an internal investigation.
- The URC said an independent panel will hear a misconduct complaint on Wednesday alleging repeated engagement with the match officials after Connacht’s defeat to Leinster.
- Ulster’s uncapped centre Jude Postlethwaite has been drafted into Andy Farrell’s squad in place of the 68-cap midfielder.
- The hearing is chaired by Roddy Dunlop KC with Attie Heyns and Andrea Caranci on the committee, and a decision is pending with France v Ireland set for February 5 in Paris.
- Analysts note recent precedents for multi‑match bans in similar cases, so a guilty finding could threaten Aki’s availability beyond the opener, though no sanction has been determined.