Rassie Erasmus handed two-game ban by World Rugby

South Africa director of rugby Rassie Erasmus has been handed a two-game following his latest criticism on referee decisions following his side's defeat against France.

The ban means he will now miss the Springboks' game against Italy followed by their clash against England next Saturday.

The decision follows his posts criticising refree Wayne Barnes after the narrow defeat against France while he also questioned the decision to award Ireland's second try in their encounter fortnight ago.

“World Rugby has reviewed the recent social media posts by SA Rugby Director of Rugby, Rassie Erasmus that relate to match officiating in the Autumn Nations Series," read a statement from South Africa Rugby.

“Match officials are the backbone of the sport and without them there is no game. World Rugby condemns any public criticism of match official selection, performance or integrity, which undermines their role, the trust-based coach/match officials feedback process and the values of integrity, respect, solidarity and discipline that are at the heart of the sport.

“The behaviour of coaching staff and match officials are widely observed by fans, media and participants at every level, and such behaviours affect how the values are applied across the game.

“In addition, under the Match Officials Communication Framework, national teams have the ability to enter into a confidential feedback process, which is critical for success in a high-performance environment. The success of these communications relies on direct and honest feedback which is delivered and received in a confidential way.”

Earlier, Erasmus completed a one-year ban for posting a video criticising referee Nic Berry after the first Test against British and Irish Lions.