Senatore will miss the remainder of The Rugby Championship.
Photo: AP
Argentina loose forward Leonardo Senatore has been banned for seven matches after being found guilty of biting South Africa lock Eben Etzebeth during last Saturday’s test.
It means he misses the rest of the Rugby Championship and three matches for his English club Worcester Warriors from now until October 28.
Earlier in the day, team mate Pablo Matera had been found not guilty of allegations of eye-gouging during the same match.
The pair had been cited after a feisty encounter in Mendoza, where South Africa squeezed out a 22-17 triumph.
Separate hearings found the 29-year-old Senatore guilty of contravening laws on “good sportsmanship” but Matera was cleared.
A judicial hearing heard evidence from two doctors, the referee Steve Walsh and Senatore himself and decided he had bitten on the forearm of Etzebeth in the second half of the test.
A reduced punishment was decided after judicial officer Terry Willis found Senatore had an unblemished record in 19 tests for Argentina and that there had been provocation from Etzebeth.
“In the absence of any aggravating feature and significant mitigating factors, it was determined that a seven-match suspension was appropriate in the circumstance,” a SANZAR statement said. – Reuters
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