Argentina’s Tomas Lavanini has received a five-week ban for his challenge on Ireland’s Cian Healy, which saw him receive the third red card of his international career.
Referee Matthew Carly was left with no choice but to give Lavanini a straight red card for a dangerous clear out on Cian Healy, as the Argentine’s shoulder made contact with the head/neck area of the Irish prop.
Lavanini has a history of dangerous play, which Ireland’s Peter O’Mahony was quick to remind him of, and that has been taken into account by World Rugby when deciding on the length of the Puma’s ban.
World Rugby statement.
“The player accepted that he had committed an act of foul play, but not that it was worthy of a red card,” the World Rugby statement reads.
“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. The net result of this is a sanction of five weeks.”
Tomas Lavanini picks up the third red card of his Test career for this reckless hit on Cian Healy#IREvARG #rterugby
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?https://t.co/zXizaUwa8D pic.twitter.com/dfhf0i8Rt9— RTÉ Rugby (@RTErugby) November 21, 2021
Tomas Lavanini will miss at least four games for Clermont.
Lavanini will miss Clermont Auvergne’s next four games as a result of the ban, having just signed for the French club at the start of the current season.
Those games include this weekend’s Top 14 encounter with Biarritz, Heineken Champions Cup games against Ulster and Sale, before another Top 14 game against Brive.
As things stand Lavanini will miss a further Top 14 match against Toulouse, but should he successfully take part in a new World Rugby ‘Coaching Intervention Programme’, one week will be taken off his ban.
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