Italy Coach Quesada Suspended Under New Referee Abuse Policy
Italy head coach Gonzalo Quesada has been handed a two-match suspension by World Rugby, becoming the first coach sanctioned under the governing body's new Match Official Abuse Sanction Process. The ban follows comments Quesada made about referee Luc Ramos after Italy's 47-17 Nations Championship defeat to New Zealand on July 11.
Quesada, a former Argentina international, labelled Ramos' performance as "super poor" and criticised several decisions, including a 20-minute red card to Italy lock Niccolo Cannone and a yellow card to All Blacks fly-half Ruben Love. He also questioned the allowance of a quick penalty while two Italian players were injured.
"To be totally honest, I think it's part of the quality of the All Blacks, part that we were a bit disorganised, and I think the score is a responsibility of the refereeing team. They did a lot of mistakes today," Quesada said after the match. "I think the final score doesn't reflect completely the game."
New Policy Targets Abuse of Officials
World Rugby introduced the Match Official Abuse Sanction Process earlier this month following discussions at the Shape of the Game forum. The policy applies to all international fixtures with World Rugby-appointed referees, including the Nations Championship, Junior World Championship, WXV, and Nations Cup.
An independent panel reviews comments from coaches and team personnel to determine if they undermine public confidence in officials. The process aims to address increasing abuse and threats directed at referees.
Quesada's suspension rules him out of all match-day activity, including being present in the stadium, for Italy's Nations Championship match against Australia on Saturday and a future fixture against South Africa. He has the right to appeal under World Rugby rules.
"World Rugby can confirm that an automatic two-match suspension has been issued to Gonzalo Quesada (Italy Head Coach), which includes a ban on all match-day activity, including being present in the stadium, as a result of comments made in broadcast, and subsequently reported, following the Nations Championship match against New Zealand on 11 July," World Rugby said in a statement.
This marks the first suspension under the new policy, though Japan coach Eddie Jones was banned for similar conduct in May, before the policy was introduced.
Harri Wilde Joins Ospreys on Loan
The Ospreys have confirmed the loan signing of former Wales U20s fly-half Harri Wilde from Cardiff for the upcoming season. The 21-year-old, who made his URC and Challenge Cup debuts for Cardiff last season, provides additional depth behind Wales international Dan Edwards.
Ospreys head coach Mark Jones said: "We're really pleased to have Harri with us for the season. Fly-half was a position of priority for us in this recruitment window and we're highly satisfied with the options we now have in that area. This move is a fantastic example of Welsh clubs working together for the benefit of the national game."
Wilde, who has signed a long-term deal at Cardiff, will also remain part of Cardiff RFC's Super Rygbi Cymru squad when not involved with the Ospreys. Cardiff head coach Corniel van Zyl added: "This is a great opportunity for Harri to continue his development. We felt it was not only a good opportunity but also the right thing for Harri to go and develop his game in a high-performance team, while hopefully getting a bit more game-time in the URC."
Wilde expressed his excitement: "I'm really excited to be joining the Ospreys. This is a great opportunity for me to challenge myself in new surroundings and to learn from a different set of coaches and players."
England Unchanged for Argentina Clash
England head coach Steve Borthwick has named an unchanged starting XV for Saturday's Nations Championship match against Argentina in Santiago del Estero, despite calls from former players to promote Henry Pollock to the back row. Pollock scored a hat-trick off the bench against Fiji last weekend but remains behind Ben Earl at number eight.
The only changes are on the bench, with Ben Spencer replacing the injured Alex Mitchell and Emmanuel Iyogun preferred to George Kloska. Teenage wing Noah Caluori is set to win his second cap off the bench after scoring on his debut.
Borthwick said: "We expect a fantastic atmosphere with passionate home support. It promises to be a great occasion and one the players are excited to embrace." England have an unbeaten record against Argentina under Borthwick, winning all five fixtures.
