IN THE AFTERMATH of Connacht’s one-point loss to Cardiff on Friday night most of the attention was focused on Pat Lam and the comments he made regarding the standard of officiating.

Lam, with the aid of a laptop, explained to journalists afterwards exactly how he felt touch judge Leighton Hodges had cost his side the game and also made a series of comments regarding the Welsh official’s behaviour before a match against Edinburgh earlier in the season.

Unsurprisingly, league officials have reacted.

“Pat Lam, the Connacht Head Coach, has been formally charged with misconduct by the Disciplinary Officer of PRO12 Rugby following comments he made to the media following the Guinness PRO12 match against Cardiff Blues in Cardiff on Friday evening, 6th March 2015,” the Pro12 said in a statement.

“Pat Lam will be required to attend a disciplinary hearing, before an independent PRO12 Rugby Disciplinary Committee, at a date yet to be determined.”

It will be interesting to see what action the panel decide to take at the hearing and also, whether Hodges referees Connacht’s match against Munster at the end of March.

Do you think Lam should be punished for his comments?

There are big hand-offs.. and then there’s Ruan Pienaar getting fended into a different year

There is one great stat that highlights just how bleak last weekend was for Irish rugby