Argentina player given four-match ban for intimidating referee after England defeat

Argentina rugby player Tomas Albornoz has been handed a four-match ban following an incident where he became aggressive towards referee Angus Gardner following their team's loss to England. The match, held in Santiago del Estero, saw Albornoz denied a potential match-winning try due to a controversial decision by Gardner, who consulted with match official Brett Cronan before ruling the score out.

Albornoz was seen twice rushing over to Gardner in the aftermath of the match, at which point he had to be restrained by his teammates. Despite accepting his conduct was intimidating, the 28-year-old player did not view his actions as abusive, insulting, offensive, or threatening, a distinction that was ultimately accepted by both World Rugby and the disciplinary committee.

Consequently, Albornoz has been banned for four matches, including this weekend's fixture against South Africa in Buenos Aires, as well as the Test matches against Australia on August 29 and September 5. Additionally, he will miss Toulon's Top 14 opener against La Rochelle.