Jaguares' Leonardo Senatore gets 10-week ban for biting opponent
Tuesday 17 May 2016 09:41, UK
Argentina international Leonardo Senatore has been suspended for 10 weeks after being found guilty of biting an opponent in a Super Rugby match.
It is the second time the 32-year-old loose forward has been suspended for the offence, having sat out nine weeks in 2013 for biting South Africa lock Eben Etzebeth in a Rugby Championship fixture.
Senatore was playing for the Buenos Aires-based Jaguares when he sank his teeth into the arm of Sharks flanker Keegan Daniel as the pair tussled in a ruck near the end of a tense 25-22 victory for the South African side in Velez Sarsfield.
Despite being a repeat offender, his most recent ban was reduced from the prescribed minimum of 12 weeks.
In a statement on Monday, SANZAAR said: "The judicial committee deemed the act of foul play merited a low-end entry point of 12 weeks. The committee then added two weeks for aggravation as this was the player's second offence for biting.
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"However, taking into account mitigating factors including the player's good character, his playing record and his disciplinary record the committee reduced the suspension to a period of 10 weeks."
The suspension rules Senatore out of the remainder of the group phase of the Super Rugby season, with the Jaguares unlikely to make the play-offs.
He will be free to play in the Rugby Championship starting on August 20 but will miss Argentina's three friendly internationals in June against Italy and France.
Jaguares will also be without their skipper Agustin Creevy, who was suspended on Monday for one week after dangerously tackling Shark's Jean Deysel in the weekend match. Deysel had to be stretchered off.
The 31-year-old Argentina hooker will miss a round 13 fixture against the Golden Lions at Ellis Park stadium in Johannesburg this Saturday.
Super Rugby judicial officer Robert Stelzner said he did not believe the tackle was intentional and the excellent disciplinary record of Creevy also played a role in the lenient sentence.
