Billy Vunipola joins Owen Farrell on banned list for start of Rugby World Cup

England’s Rugby World Cup campaign descended further into crisis on Wednesday after it was announced that Billy Vunipola, the only specialist number eight in Steve Borthwick’s squad, will be banned for the opening pool match against Argentina.

Vunipola was sent off in the warm-up defeat by Ireland in Dublin last Saturday for a high tackle on the prop Andrew Porter, with his initial yellow card upgraded to red by the bunker review system. A disciplinary hearing on Tuesday determined that the Saracens backrow must serve a three-match suspension, meaning he will also miss England’s final warm-up match against Fiji on Saturday.

The starting point for Vunipola’s indiscretion was a six-week ban, but the independent judicial committee reduced the punishment to three weeks. If Vunipola attends tackle school the ban will be reduced to two matches and he will be free to play against Japan on September 17th.

“Having acknowledged mitigating factors including his exemplary previous record, immediate apology and remorse, and noted the absence of any aggravating factors, the committee reduced the six week entry point by three weeks,” Six Nations Rugby said in a statement.

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The England captain Owen Farrell is being forced to sit out the crucial matches against Argentina and Japan, and the absence of two of his most influential players for the opening match against the Pumas is a severe blow to Borthwick. Both will be available to face Chile and Samoa, but England’s hopes of progress to the quarter-finals hinge on their first two fixtures.

Farrell’s red card against Wales was overturned only for World Rugby to appeal the decision, resulting in Tuesday evening’s announcement that the 31-year-old must serve a four-match ban, backdated to Saturday’s match against Ireland.

The credibility of rugby’s disciplinary procedures has been called into question after the furore surrounding Farrell’s punishment, but that is the least of Borthwick’s rapidly lengthening list of problems. As well as the serious disciplinary concerns, he is also overseeing a poor run of performances from his side. - Guardian