Tomas Lavanini will be able to face the All Blacks. Photo: Franck Fife/AFP.
Argentina lock Tomas Lavanini escaped further punishment Monday after being red-carded during a Rugby Championship defeat by South Africa in Salta at the weekend.
A statement from the competition organisers said the sending off “was sufficient in itself and that no further sanction was appropriate”.
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The decision clears Lavanini to play against world champions New Zealand in New Plymouth on September 9 if selected.
He had pleaded guilty to a foul play review committee that met after a match in which one red and four yellow cards were shown and there were two mini-brawls.
The forward received his first yellow after only nine minutes for a no-arms charge at South African prop Coenie Oosthuizen in the northwestern Argentine city.
A deliberate, try-preventing knock-on just before the hour got Lavanini a second yellow card followed by an automatic red.
Argentina number eight Juan Manuel Leguizamon and South Africa full-back Andries Coetzee were sin-binned during a match won 41-23 by the visiting team.
