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Disgraced Pumas skipper Pablo Matera has been reinstated as captain but won’t face the Wallabies in Saturday night’s final Tri Nations clash in Sydney.
Matera was sensationally stripped of the captaincy and stood down from the Bankwest Stadium Test, along with teammates Guido Petti and Santiago Socino, after racist tweets resurfaced.
The tweets, originally shared between 2011 and 2013, related to Bolivian and Paraguayan domestic staff and black people, and were described by the Argentina Rugby Union (UAR) as “discriminatory and xenophobic”.
The UAR confirmed on Thursday the players had faced a disciplinary hearing and the ban had been lifted, however the trio won’t play.
Centre Jeronimo de la Fuente will lead the side in Matera’s absence.
The UAR said in a statement the players faced a disciplinary commission on Wednesday, where they showed great remorse.
“The three players expressed their deep regret, reiterated the apology, ratified that it is not what they think and that it was a reckless act typical of immaturity,” the UAR said in a statement.
“However, they are fully responsible … seek to amend the damage caused.
“At the time of preliminary issuance, the Disciplinary Committee has considered and assessed the attitude of the three players during this process, and understands that they have not repeated similar actions during these more than eight years, and that they have shown during this time to be people with firm and upright values, worthy of being part of our team.”
The UAR said the commission would reach a final resolution in the next few days but resolved to lift the suspension and restore the captaincy of Matera.
Argentina team to face Wallabies (1-15)
Nahuela Tetaz Chaparro, Julian Montoya, Francisco Gomez Kodela, Matias Alemanno, Marco Kremer, Santiago Grondona, Facundo Isa, Rodrigo Bruni, Felipe Ezcurra, Nicolas Sanchez, Emiliano Boffelli, Jeronimo de la Fuente (c), Matias Orlando, Bautista Delguy, Santiago Carreras
Bench: Jose Luis Gonzalez, Mayco Vivas, Juan Pablo Zeiss, Lucas Paulos, Francisco Gorrissen, Gonzalo Bertranou, Domingo Miotti, Santiago Chocobares
© AAP
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