Argentina's Mariano Galarza banned for eye-gouging Brodie Retallick

Mariano Galarza tackles All Blacks winger Nehe Milner-Skudder. Photo / Getty

A finger in the eye is never an accident. Mariano Galarzo has got what he deserved - a nine-week ban that will see him miss the rest of the World Cup.

Argentina were fantastic at Wembley. He wasn't. Well, he was right up until the point it turned out he had stuck his fingers in Brodie Retallick's eye. A hand never accidentally strays towards the face. Players don't suddenly realise they are rummaging around in another's eye socket and it's all a big misunderstanding.

The video evidence is conclusive and Retallick's testimony apparently helped the citing commissioner come to his decision. Nine weeks is about right for that nonsense. Eye gouging is vile. It's dangerous beyond belief and anyone who indulges in a bit of it should seriously think about why they are playing the game.

We don't know yet whether the All Blacks alerted citing commissioner Murray Whyte to the incident or whether he picked it up at the time - seeing Retallick react angrily at a maul where he was visibly grappling with Galarza.

Retallick certainly didn't say anything after the game but he'll no doubt be satisfied that justice has been served.

Just as disappointing in this whole unsavoury affair is the damage it has done to Argentina's reputation. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s they were renowned for being filthy. The Pumas were rated the worst by their peers for crass, cheap shots such as eye gouging and 'bag-snatching'. When they played Ireland at the 2003 World Cup it was carnage - really nasty stuff for 80 minutes that caused bad blood between the two teams for the next decade.

It's been a long hard slog for the Pumas to rebuild their image. They haven't been perfect in the Rugby Championship since they joined in 2012 but they have been mostly clean. Tough but clean with the odd exception.

Now this. Why? What was the point in it and what did Galarza think he'd achieve?

It has left the Pumas looking for a new lock but more importantly it has left them having to start again in their mission to persuade the world they aren't a bit cheap and nasty. They could be the dark horse at this tournament - a potential semifinalist or finalist which could do wonders for the game in Argentina.

They aren't likely to be a popular dark horse, though, if they do any more eye gouging.