Tomás Albornoz banned for four matches for intimidating referee after England defeat

Tomás Albornoz has been suspended for four matches after admitting misconduct following Argentina’s Nations Championship match against England on 18 July in Santiago del Estero. The ban begins with Argentina’s Test against South Africa on Saturday.

At a disciplinary hearing Albornoz accepted the misconduct allegations and acknowledged that his overall conduct was intimidatory, while denying that his behaviour was abusive, insulting, offensive or threatening. World Rugby and the disciplinary committee assessed his actions as comparable to the low-end entry point for contact with a match official, which carries a six-match suspension.

The committee recorded that Albornoz made contact with referee Angus Gardner, that he approached the Australian official on two occasions and that teammates had to restrain him. The contact occurred after Argentina were denied a last-gasp try which would have given Albornoz a conversion attempt to draw the match, following a lengthy discussion between Gardner and television match official Brett Cronan.

Argentina argued they should have been awarded a penalty try for high tackles by Noah Calouri and Henry Slade as Bautista Delguy went for the line. Gardner’s decision to disallow the try ensured England ran out 31-24 victors in Santiago del Estero, affording the under-fire head coach Steve Borthwick a welcome sigh of relief.

The disciplinary committee said a six-match suspension would represent the low-end entry point for this category of contact but imposed a reduced four-match ban after taking mitigating factors into account, including Albornoz’s early acceptance of the charge, his undertakings to issue public and private written apologies, and his previously clear disciplinary record. "Tomás Albornoz has been suspended for four matches after admitting misconduct arising from interactions with match officials following Argentina’s Nations Championship match against England on 18 July," World Rugby said in a statement. "In determining misconduct under regulation 18, the disciplinary committee noted that the Argentina fly-half accepted the misconduct allegations. In particular, he accepted that his conduct, taken as a whole, was intimidatory. "The committee accepted that contact with referee Angus Gardner, although limited in nature, occurred while disputing a match official’s decision and formed part of that overall course of intimidatory conduct. The committee also noted that Albornoz approached the referee on two separate occasions and had to be restrained by teammates."

Angus Gardner is scheduled to referee the third Test of South Africa’s forthcoming four-match series against New Zealand.

As a result of the suspension Albornoz will miss Argentina’s Test against South Africa on Saturday, the forthcoming double header with Australia and a Toulon fixture.