The All Blacks will be poring over video footage to corroborate their belief Tony Woodcock was heavily eye-gouged during a second-half scrap that flared out of control.
Captain Richie McCaw thinks he inadvertently started the fight late in the game when he was caught at a breakdown in an awkward position and worked his way free. In the process, the French player underneath him took exception and a melee broke out that even saw two of the All Black coaching party, Mick Byrne and Mike Cron, enter the action.
The All Blacks are in no doubt that Woodcock was gouged during the fracas and the scratches and bruises around his eyes after the game supported the claims. It is even thought that at one stage, a French player had fingers up both Woodcock's nostrils.
With so many bodies involved in the fight, finding clear footage of the incident was proving hard. But the All Blacks will be determined to see if any exists as there were obvious concerns about the seriousness of the incident, despite the fact that McCaw said immediately after the game he had no knowledge of any gouging.
"I got caught in a horrible position and the fella underneath me reacted," said McCaw. "It was a bit of frustration for them, I guess, but I wasn't aware of any eye-gouging."
If footage is found and a citing made, the IRB will be under pressure to come down heavily on the perpetrator. Eye-gouging has increased in the past 12 months and appears to be slowly being accepted as part of the game.
Isaac Ross was gouged in Christchurch by Italian captain Sergio Parisse and there was an incident in July where South African Schalk Burger stuck his finger in the eye of Lions wing Luke Fitzgerald.
- HERALD ON SUNDAY
All Blacks: Search for eye-gouging evidence
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