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Tomás Lavanini has received a five week suspension following his sending-off against Ireland. The Pumas lock received a red card from referee Matthew Carley for a dangerous clearout at a ruck on Cian Healy in the second half of the match in Dublin on November 21.
A disciplinary panel comprised of Roddy Dunlop QC (Scotland) and former internationals Becky Essex (England) and Stefan Terblanche (South Africa) presided over the hearing with the decision reading as follows:
“The player accepted that he had committed an act of foul play, but not that it was worthy of a red card. Having reviewed all the evidence, the committee deemed that there has been contact with the head of an opposing player, in circumstances where the contact was direct and carried a high degree of danger.
“On that basis, the committee upheld the red card, and applied World Rugby’s mandatory minimum mid-range entry point for foul play resulting in contact with the head. This resulted in a starting point of a six-week suspension.
“Having acknowledged mitigating factors including the player’s expression of remorse, his conduct at the hearing, and the fact that he has been taking active steps to ensure that his on field aggression was appropriately controlled, the committee reduced the sanction by two weeks. However, it thereafter required to consider the player’s previous dismissals, and in that regard the committee added one week.”
Though the suspension is five weeks, Lavanini has applied to take part in the Coaching Intervention Programme, which was approved by the panel. As a result his suspension will be reduced by one week leaving him ineligible for the following games for his club Clermont Auvergne:
- vs Biarritz (Top 14) – 4 December, 2021
- vs Ulster (EPCR) – 11 December, 2021
- vs Sale (EPCR) – 18 December, 2021
- vs Brive (Top 14) – 26 December, 2021
It’s the 3rd time that Lavanini has been sent off in his test career, the most of any player who has worn a Pumas jersey. He has also received seven yellow cards in 66 internationals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElH943UuYO4
