Pumas bad boy Lavanini gets 4-match ban for Farrell tackle

Tokyo - Argentina lock Tomas Lavanini was slapped with a four-match ban on Monday for a high tackle on England captain Owen Farrell at the Rugby World Cup.

Lavanini, the most sin-binned player in Argentina's history, was sent off in the first half of Los Pumas' 39-10 defeat on Saturday as they failed to reach the quarter-finals.

The 26-year-old went before an independent judicial panel on Monday and admitted an act of foul play.

"Having considered all the evidence and after hearing from the player and his legal representative, the panel imposed a sanction of four matches," a statement said.

Lavanini will miss Argentina's final Pool C game against the USA on Wednesday and the next three games at his new club, Leicester. He will be free to play from November 1.

He becomes the eighth player to be suspended at the World Cup for dangerous tackles, the subject of a major crackdown by governing body World Rugby.