It hasn't been a great week in sport for Argentina. In football, they lost in the World Cup final while the national rugby side lost to England in the Nations Championship in a rather controversial manner.
Argentina fly-half, Tomas Albornoz, is facing a suspension after being hit with "misconduct charges" by World Rugby following their Nations Championship clash with England.
The playmaker was seen remonstrating with referee Angus Gardner after the final whistle of their 31-24 defeat on Saturday; while he also made physical contact with the match official.
England beat Argentina 31-24 in the Nations Championship to gain some revenge for the football team’s 2-1 loss in the World Cup semi-finals last week.
Argentina didn't take their subsequent 1-0 loss in Monday’s (AEST) World Cup final against Spain well, with Leandro Paredes red carded for attacking rival players after the final whistle in New Jersey.
Also Read: The Final Curtain
World Rugby has taken issue with the actions of Argentina playmaker Albornoz, who made physical contact with Australian referee Angus Gardner after he had blown for full-time.
"In line with the remit of the match official abuse sanction process, the charges relate to events following the final whistle. Albornoz was seen remonstrating with the match officials following the final whistle," a World Rugby statement said.
"The process was introduced to complement Regulation 18 and provide a clearer and more consistent framework for addressing public criticism of match officials, particularly where such comments may contribute to wider online abuse... the process reflects a unified commitment to support and protect match officials."
"Hey, hey, hey, don’t, don’t," a shocked Gardner told Albornoz, who then spiked the ball in disgust.
Fans then called Gardner a "thief" as he walked off the pitch.
"I did not like the sight of Tomas Albonoz, the Argentina fly-half, making light contact with the Australian official after he ruled out their potentially match-tying try. Barge opponents all you want, but players should never be allowed to lay a hand on officials," ex-England captain Brian Moore wrote in The Telegraph.
"What is more disturbing are the reports that the referee, Angus Gardner, was subject to abuse after the game and that something was thrown at him from the crowd... World Rugby has a duty to fully investigate these reports and, if there is any truth to them, sanction Argentina in a meaningful way."
"Rugby cannot afford to have its officials made vulnerable when they are doing their best to referee difficult games that sometimes have a bewildering level of complexity over its established laws...."
"I have a feeling that World Rugby will want to make light of these claims but if it does so, it will further discourage people from wanting to participate in officiating, and it will be abrogating its responsibilities. Attracting officials is getting harder and World Rugby needs to do all it can to stop this trend."
Gardner is one of the world’s leading referees.
Under World Rugby regulation 9.28, players are forbidden from making contact with match officials, or using verbal abuse.
Punishments range from 6-52 week bans.
World Rugby has been cracking down on coaches criticising or abusing officials, with Eddie Jones (Japan) and Gonzalo Quesada (Italy) both recently banned for poor behaviour.
With Quesada absent, the Wallabies thrashed Italy 57-10 in Perth on Saturday night. Non-playing Italy prop Marco Riccioni was red carded for his sideline scrap at HBF Park and then banned for a further two club games.
Albornoz is the only person cited after World Rugby opened an investigation into what was a fraught encounter at the weekend. The approach of Los Pumas, who wore a strip inspired by the 1986 Argentinian football team, was criticised.
Their fly-half was constantly at the centre of it having appeared to strike Tommy Freeman after the England wing had received a cheap shot from Albornoz’s team-mate, Mateo Carreras.
Neither player have been cited for that incident but the pivot will be up before a disciplinary panel for his protestations after the final whistle. Argentina were unhappy that a possible late try for Bautista Delguy was ruled out by the match officials; preventing them from drawing the contest.
There was also an object thrown from the stands towards referee Gardner while the home side’s head coach, Felipe Contepomi' accused England of 'lacking respect'.
Contepomi was irritated over the visitors’ post-match celebrations and stormed out of his press conference as he felt their music was being played too loudly while it was going on.
Argentina’s boss and his team have since come in for plenty of criticism over their attitude; with England great Ben Youngs particularly scathing.
"We’ve seen Rassie be banned, we’ve seen Eddie Jones be banned, we’ve seen Steve Diamond in the PREM [rugby], we’ve seen Richard Cockerill in the PREM and for me it starts from the head guy and the way he behaves,” he said on the For The Love of Rugby podcast.
"You saw Contepomi after the game, basically his post-match press conference, he’s asked England to turn down the music and the singing, and they haven’t, so he basically storms out."
"His behaviour at Twickenham [in November] was the same and you’ve seen players at the end of the game after the TMO and the ref has made the decision to surround the ref."
"It’s totally disgraceful, unforgivable behaviour. I hope that World Rugby take it seriously, I hope there’s bans dished out, no one wants to see that in our game and the fact they think that’s okay is an absolute disgrace – it’s awful."
Passion, very occasional eruptions and heart-on-sleeve expressionism was rarely far away from Felipe Contepomi as a player; so perhaps it is fitting that his Argentina team is, by and large, playing in the same manner. Certainly never a dull moment. Yet the weekend past did leave you wondering if perhaps the Pumas hadn't drunk a little of their fotball team’s Kool-Aid.
The tight-lipped exit by Contepomi was not his first from a post-match, not even in the past twelve months; nor was the ‘lack of respect’ accusation which is another that has been trotted out a little too regularly for it to remain credible for long. England are often the target of the ire but it has been by no means restricted to them.
If we’re going to look at lack of respect, we also need to look at the abuse and beer cups being directed at Angus Gardner as he exited the field on Saturday; never mind the players giving him a shove that was more than insignificant as he gave his verdict on that final play.
The fact is, Argentina don’t currently look like a team on a good trajectory ahead of this year’s truncated July-August schedule, which consists of the two home Tests against Australia rather than the usual Rugby Championship duties. They can bemoan the last-gasp non-try decision all they want but sinking to a 19-3 deficit – deficits in games have become just as much of a trait as the stirring comebacks – was far more to blame for the defeat.
The passion the Pumas bring is always welcome but it is currently channelled far too externally; rather than some proper introspection.
It’s a little difficult to preach respect, too, when the chosen kit reflects one of sport’s most controversial victories over the opposition – a different sport – from some 40 years ago, not to mention the unseemly pot-stirring about past military conflicts between the two countries from small sections of fans. Put together many of those aspects and the picture is of a team and management that has become a little too tantrum-prone when things do not go their way.
There's absolutely no reason that can change my mind on this matter. Players should accept the decisions made by officials. The way they reacted is just plain childish.
I believe a long punishment is needed to teach the player a lesson that you can't freely abuse and/or intimidate an official.
I would be surprised if the football team got ideas of a reaction from their rugby counterparts or vice versa.