Los Pumas Head Coach Daniel Hourcade will be without Tomás Lavanini for two of Argentina’s three home test matches in June. The second-rower was handed a two-match ban on top of being red carded for making contact in am armless clear-out playing for Los Jaguares vs the Southern Kings on Friday.
Lavanini joins tighthead Ramiro Herrera in being suspended. The pairing were red carded in the first half against the Kings and are the only two players to have been red carded this season. Also suspended is Sunwolves second-rower Hitoshi Ono who was yellow carded in what officials have since determined was actually a red card offense.
The suspensions of Herrera and Lavanini will see both players miss international duty but Herrera will miss one test match, that being Los Pumas’ home match in Santa Fé against Italy on June 11.
For his part Lavanini is to miss the Santa Fé test and also the first of two home matches against France. The match scheduled for Sunday June 19 will be without Lavanini. He will be free to play in the second test match, six days later on Saturday June 25.
Both players are to be free to play in remaining Super Rugby fixtures well as subsequent international competition for Argentina in the Rugby Championship.