World Rugby steps in after furious ending
Argentina fly-half Tomás Albornoz has been issued with misconduct charges following his confrontation with match officials after the Pumas’ 31-24 defeat by England. The incident occurred after the final whistle at Estadio Único Madre de Ciudades in Santiago del Estero on July 18.
Albornoz was seen angrily remonstrating with referee Angus Gardner and appeared to make physical contact with the Australian official. He now faces a disciplinary hearing under World Rugby’s Match Official Abuse Sanction Process, although the date and potential punishment have not yet been announced.
“Tomás Albornoz has been issued with misconduct charges following Argentina’s Nations Championship match against England,” World Rugby said in its statement. According to World Rugby’s official disciplinary update, the charges relate specifically to events after the final whistle.
One decision ignited the chaos
The confrontation followed a dramatic final attack in which Argentina believed they had scored the converted try required to rescue a draw. Bautista Delguy crossed in the corner more than four minutes after the clock had turned red, sending the home crowd into celebration.
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The try was then reviewed by television match official Brett Cronan. Replays showed Delguy had been forced into touch by Henry Slade before grounding the ball, leading Gardner to overturn the score and end the match.
As described by Sky Sports, England had survived the closing stages with 13 players after receiving four yellow cards during the contest. Justo Piccardo’s 80th-minute try had reduced the deficit to seven points before Delguy’s unsuccessful final attempt.
The moment that could cost Albornoz dearly
Following the decision, several Argentina players surrounded Gardner and protested against the officials. Albornoz was among the most animated and had to be moved away as the confrontation continued.
Footage appeared to show the fly-half placing a hand on Gardner during the exchange. World Rugby has not yet disclosed the precise wording of the misconduct charges, meaning it remains unclear whether the case will be treated as verbal abuse, physical contact or a combination of alleged offences.
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The governing body said the process had been introduced to create a clearer and more consistent framework for dealing with criticism and abuse of match officials. It added that the system reflected a commitment across the sport to support and protect referees.
‘I hope there’s bans dished out’
Former England scrum-half Ben Youngs launched a furious attack on Argentina’s conduct after the match. He argued that the behaviour of the players reflected the attitude being set by head coach Felipe Contepomi.
“You’ve seen players at the end of the game after the TMO and the ref has made the decision to surround the ref,” Youngs said on the For The Love of Rugby podcast. “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,” he added, as quoted by Planet Rugby.
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Contepomi adds fuel to the fire
The tension continued away from the pitch when Contepomi abruptly ended his post-match press conference. The Argentina coach had asked England to reduce the volume of their music and singing, which could be heard from the nearby changing room.
When the celebrations continued, Contepomi left the room and accused England of showing a lack of respect. Youngs later pointed to that reaction as further evidence that Argentina’s post-match behaviour came from the leadership of the team.
An object was also reportedly thrown from the stands in the direction of Gardner as the officials left the field. There has been no confirmation that the object struck anyone, but the incident added to concerns about the scenes surrounding the referee.
Earlier flashpoint brings no separate charge
Albornoz had also been involved in an altercation after Tommy Freeman scored England’s opening try. Mateo Carreras appeared to make late contact with Freeman before Albornoz became involved in the confrontation that followed.
Footage appeared to show Albornoz making contact with Freeman’s face, although neither he nor Carreras received a separate citing for that incident. Youngs described the alleged contact as another example of what he considered unacceptable conduct throughout the match.
For now, the formal case concerns only Albornoz’s actions after the final whistle. The fly-half remains accused rather than found guilty, and World Rugby had not announced a hearing outcome as of July 31.
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