Argentinian fly-half Tomás Albornoz has received a four-match suspension due to intimidating a referee following the conclusion of the controversial match where England triumphed over the Pumas last month.
During a disciplinary hearing, Albornoz acknowledged the misconduct allegations against him, admitting that his behavior could be perceived as intimidating. As a result of this ruling, he will not participate in Argentina’s Test match against South Africa scheduled for Saturday, nor in the upcoming double-header against Australia, and a match with Toulon.
The disciplinary committee highlighted that Albornoz had made contact with referee Angus Gardner and approached the official twice, necessitating intervention from his teammates to restrain him.
This incident unfolded after Argentina was denied a potential last-minute try against England that could have allowed Albornoz a chance to convert and equalize the score. The decision followed lengthy discussions between Gardner and television match official Brett Cronan. Argentina argued that they should have been awarded a penalty try due to high tackles from Noah Calouri and Henry Slade as Pumas winger Bautista Delguy attempted to score.
The referee’s decision to disallow the try ultimately led to England’s 31-24 victory in Santiago del Estero, providing a much-needed boost to head coach Steve Borthwick amid mounting pressure.
While Albornoz accepted that his conduct constituted intimidation, he refuted claims that his behavior was abusive, offensive, or threatening. World Rugby and the disciplinary panel concurred, categorizing his actions as falling within the lower end of the spectrum for contact with match officials, which typically incurs a six-match suspension.
Taking into account Albornoz’s acceptance of the charges, his commitment to issue both public and private apologies, and his previously clean disciplinary history, the committee deemed a four-match ban to be a more fitting penalty. Meanwhile, Gardner is set to officiate the third Test in South Africa’s upcoming four-match series against New Zealand.
In a statement, World Rugby confirmed, “Tomás Albornoz has been suspended for four matches after admitting misconduct related to interactions with match officials following Argentina’s Nations Championship match against England on July 18.” The statement continued, “The disciplinary committee recognized that Albornoz accepted the misconduct allegations, specifically acknowledging that his overall conduct was intimidatory.”
Furthermore, the committee noted that although the contact with referee Angus Gardner was minimal, it occurred while disputing a decision and contributed to the overall nature of his intimidating behavior. They also observed that Albornoz approached the referee on two occasions, which led to teammates needing to restrain him.
