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Mon 16 May 2016 | 09:41
Leonardo Senatore banned for 10 weeks after biting Keegan Daniel

20
Comments

Jaguares loose forward Leonardo Senatore has been banned for biting Sharks forward Keegan Daniel during their 25-22 loss on Saturday. It is not the first time Senatore has been in trouble for biting, after he was banned for the same offence three years ago.

*Note: This article has been updated following the result of the disciplinary hearing

As the Jaguares piled the pressure on the Sharks tryline in Buenos Aires, flanker Daniel took Senatore to ground, ending up with his arm around his neck.

Senatore took some friendly fire in the process, with a knee to the face, then clamped down on Daniel's arm, before more grappling and a scuffle ensued.

Daniel brought the bite to the attention of referee Marius van der Westhuizen but in such a heated environment with more than a few bits of niggle, he basically told Daniel he wouldn't look into it.

The Citing Commissioner had a closer look however, deeming the offence to have met the red card threshold for foul play. He was therefore cited for contravening Law 10.4(m) Acts contrary to good sportsmanship - Biting.

Senatore faced a SANZAAR Judicial Hearing today and has since been banned for 10 weeks. 

It was not the first time he's done this. In a Test between Argentina and South Africa in 2013, Senatore took a bite of meaty lock Eben Etzebeth, and was suspended for a total of nine weeks because of it.

"Having conducted a detailed review of all the available evidence, including all camera angles and additional evidence, including from the player and submissions from his legal representative, Stephan Weyers, the Judicial Committee upheld the citing under Law 10.4(m) acts contrary to good sportsmanship  - biting," said a judicial committee statement.
 
"With respect to sanction the Judicial Committee deemed the act of foul play merited a low-end entry point of 12 weeks.  The Judicial Committee then added 2 weeks for aggravation as this was the player’s second offence for biting. 

"However, taking into account mitigating factors including the player’s good character, his playing record and his disciplinary record the Judicial Committee reduced the suspension to a period of ten weeks."

Jaguares skipper Agustin Creevy has been suspended for one week for a dangerous tackle in the same match on Saturday. His tackle on Jean Deysel resulted in the flanker leaving the field on a stretcher.

A quick look at the incident is below, followed by match highlights

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS:

Posted By: Grant Constable

20 Comments

  • katman
    1:20 PM 18/05/2016

    Something like that. And I'm sure they all get their moms to testify for them.

  • danknapp
    9:51 AM 18/05/2016

    He must have apologised on twitter immediately after the game.

  • danknapp
    9:51 AM 18/05/2016

    Oh, don't get me wrong, the dive is a piece of absolute filth and Brussow should be embarrassed. I'd also love to see players getting banned for play-acting.

    I'd just prefer it if we called it a 'multiple slap combo' for accuracy's sake.

  • badge
    2:23 AM 18/05/2016

    I don't think he wanted to hurt hm, he was just letting him know that its incredibly annoying to be held back. If he really wanted to drop the guy he surely could have from that angle. Refs are painstakingly slow to call holding around the rucks, sometimes a little love tap is all you can do to help sort it out.

  • stantheman
    3:30 PM 17/05/2016

    Hi, there! I know it doesn't look a hard punch but it's on the neck even a weak punch on the neck can really harm to throw a punch just to mean harm it shouldn't have place in a rugby field...And it is against rugby's spirit..completlly foul play..really bad attitud to hit someone who can't defend himself..For example Sanchez and pietersen threw a few punches at each other but they were seeing each others faces..

  • stantheman
    3:19 PM 17/05/2016

    Sry But I think you are wrong how can he posibly bit him but for keegan to have his arm around his face and neck.. Not saying it is ok what senatore did but that action was not good either.

  • incinerate
    1:38 PM 17/05/2016

    Yeah, it looked more spectacular at the stadium with all the booing and whistling and with Lavanini laying on the ground (I thought he was the one who had been hit). Still, I had to share it with you.

  • stroudos
    1:34 PM 17/05/2016

    Dan, "12 punch combo" may be a bit of an exaggeration, (although the girly slaps started raining a bit before the start of your video if I recall correctly), but I clearly remember this as the moment I went from admiring Brussow to despising him with an almost psycopathic sense of loathing. No individual has ever plummeted so quickly in my estimations.

    I empathise with the frustration of having someone holding onto you when you're trying to get away from a ruck, but it would have been much easier to break free of Williams's grasp than to keep slapping him like a girl at playgroup. (Incidentally, I have to date never experienced anyone continuing to hold my shirt after I've dug my thumb into the fleshy bit between the fingers on the back of the offender's hand).

    And that dive.

    That dive....

    You'll have to excuse me, I'm really struggling to compose myself here.

    That dive is the most disgraceful act I've witnessed on a rugby pitch. Brussow should have been banned for a very long time for that.

  • rugbydump
    9:33 AM 17/05/2016

    Nice work finding and editing it, thanks.
    The reason for no citing, as you were asking about before, is that it would have to be an offence worthy of a red card

  • danknapp
    9:09 AM 17/05/2016

    You mean this? He was being a bit of a naughty boy though, holding on. I'd hesitate to call this a '12 punch combo'. Let's not over-dramatise this, please.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s__SNmrVcrc

  • danknapp
    9:06 AM 17/05/2016

    That's not a punch! I've had worse banging my head on the kitchen cupboards!

  • incinerate
    1:45 AM 17/05/2016

    There you go, mate. Sorry for the crappy video editing,

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4fl1z4Zv64

  • incinerate
    8:01 PM 16/05/2016

    During the 2nd half but I don't remember exactly when it happened.
    Based on a few text messages from a friend, it happened about 15-20 mins after a Jags's try was called off due to a clear obstruction.

    I'll check it later on ESPN Play when I get home from work.

  • danknapp
    7:19 PM 16/05/2016

    Replying to both you and Alasdair here, but I can't see how you can imagine he bit him until he had arms across his face. He hasn't got teeth in his neck. I mean, I'm sure it's six of one and half a dozen of the other, but neither guy is entirely blameless, no?

    Having said that, this is the only video of it I've seen, I didn't see a high quality version during the game so I could be completely wrong. It just looks like Daniel has his arms over Senatore's face, and gets a nibble as a result. How bad was the bite, was he marked? Or was the reaction just due to not liking being bitten (which I can understand)?

  • drg
    7:14 PM 16/05/2016

    Oo-er Foxtrot....

  • rugbydump
    7:13 PM 16/05/2016

    Do you remember when in the match that was?

  • alasdairduncan3
    6:33 PM 16/05/2016

    That was the reaction to the biting, not the reason for it.

  • foxtrot
    4:53 PM 16/05/2016

    He clearly only attacks his head after he was bitten, before than the worse you can finger him for is having his arm slip up around Senatore's neck.

  • incinerate
    3:11 PM 16/05/2016

    I can't find any news related to that Sharks bloke punching a Jaguares player in the back of the head (I think it was Lavanini), he should be cited as well.
    I can't find any video but the whole thing was replayed on the stadium's screen. If I can get my hands on a video of the full match, I'll definitely upload it on YouTube.

  • danknapp
    2:52 PM 16/05/2016

    Not nice to see, but if you've got your arms across the bloke's mouth and are pulling his head this way and that, expect him to have a little nibble. If he's got previous then he should be banned, but the circumstances should also be taken into account.

    Pretty poor to see Keegan Daniel go whining to the referee afterwards when he was no saint.

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