Owen Farrell hit with four game ban after appeal

Owen Farrell has been handed a four game suspension after his red card in this month's test match against Wales was reinstated, meaning he will miss the opening two matches of England's World Cup campaign.

The sanction includes England's warm-up game against Ireland in Dublin, for which Farrell was voluntarily stood down, meaning he will miss the upcoming warm-up match against Fiji and, more crucially, the opening two World Cup pool games against Argentina and Japan.

Farrell's red card for a high tackle on Wales' Taine Basham had been downgraded to a yellow card in a disciplinary hearing last Tuesday, however that decision was subsequently appealed by World Rugby, leading to this afternoon's appeal hearing.

The Appeal Committee unanimously determined that the Disciplinary Committee hadn't considered Farrell's failure to attempt to wrap his opponent in the tackle.

The Appeal Committee found that the tackle was 'always illegal' and opted to reinstate the red card.

Meanwhile, Argentina will be without tighthead prop Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro for the tournament, after he ruptured the achilles tendon in his left leg in training, officials confirmed on Tuesday.

Tetaz Chaparro was one of five props selected for the tournament by coach Michael Cheika, who must now have a rethink over his options.

No replacement has been named yet, but Mayco Vivas and Lucio Sordoni have joined the team's training camp in Portugal.

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