Wallabies might appeal Swain’s headbutt red card

England denied they had deliberately baited Darcy Swain into losing his temper as the Wallabies said they’ll consider challenging the red card shown to the lock for a firsthalf headbutt.

Swain was sent off in the 33rd minute of the Wallabies’ 30-28 win after match officials ruled that he had headbutted rival lock Jonny Hill. Swain and Hill had had a running battle in the game, and the Australian’s hot-headed reaction had come after Hill had pulled Swain’s hair at a maul.

Hill, who was yellow carded for the hair pull, had earlier appeared to strike Swain in the face near a ruck, but he escaped without punishment.

A red card means a player will automatically face a judiciary panel and Swain faces a suspension that would rule him out of the rest of the England series, and possibly even into the Rugby Championship.

Asked if he felt like Swain had fallen into a trap set by England, Wallabies coach Dave Rennie said: ‘‘I am not sure if it was a team plan but certainly there was provocation there.

‘‘Not just in that situation but earlier in the game.

‘‘Obviously we will have a decent look at the footage and work out how we are going to appeal that. If it’s a head butt, it is clearly a red card.’’

Meanwhile, Israel Folau’s return to international rugby was one to forget, limping off early in Tonga’s Pacific Nations Cup defeat to Fiji in Suva on Saturday.

The dual-code former Australian star lasted less than half an hour on debut for the Ikale Tahi, succumbing to a leg injury as the visitors to ANZ National Stadium were belted 36-0.

In other matches over the weekend, a penalty after the hooter by stand-in kicker Damian Willemse helped South Africa edge Wales 32-29 in Pretoria, while Argentina celebrated their first home test in 1057 days with a 26-18 victory over Scotland in Jujuy.