Top 14 boss responds to player's bizarre social media attack on coach

Former Clermont Sevens player, Marvin O’Connor posted an insulting tweet about his former coach in the middle of the night.

Did Marvin O’Connor lose his mind? It was 12.21am on Sunday 27 October when he took the time to compose a message on his X account with a lot of emojis (9 in all) to insult Christophe Urios, the coach of Clermont, who had just recorded his fourth defeat of the season away from home (against Stade Français, 36-6).

“Nice performance again Christophe. 450 points conceded on the road and you’re back. You’re a genius. You seem to really get on everyone’s nerves, Einstein (…) there’s not a single one of your super soldiers who can nick you, asshole.”

In another message, he even described him as “a dish of béchamel sauce”. Anyways, the genius of it all was widely commented on the social channel, with some suggesting that the player had apparently had a little too much to drink that evening.

Another victim of alcohol?

Yet it is precisely this plague of alcohol that the French rugby federation (FFR) wishes to tackle following the disastrous tour of South America last July.

A few days ago, in his back-to-work interview, Les Bleus coach Fabien Galthié proclaimed: “We need to appeal to individual conscience, which sometimes evaporates under the effect of the group”.

What happened to Marvin O’Connor? Where has his “individual conscience” gone?

Having played for Bayonne (2011-2015), Montpellier (2015-2017) and Stade Français (2017-2018), the 33-year-old winger arrived at ASM Clermont as a medical joker in September 2021 and was not really used (two tries in 26 appearances).

Never used by Christophe Urios

As soon as Christophe Urios took over at the start of 2023, a couple of weeks after O’Connor’s last appearance for the club against the Stormers, O’Connor never appeared in a match. His last game for ASM Clermont in Top 14 came on 5 November 2022, when he started on the right wing, ironically in a 20-25 defeat to Bayonne at Le Michelin.

The former France 7 player (2018 – 2021) officially left ASM in June 2024 after more than 18 months without playing. It seems that hard feelings towards the coach is still very strong.

Just after his re-election, FFR President Florian Grill said: “The issues surrounding addictions – alcohol and cocaine – are major. Playing with the rooster on your chest gives you rights, but also a lot of duties and responsibilities”. Does this also apply to former players as well?

“Marvin chose to stay, even though he knew he wouldn’t get any playing time, which was his decision to make, just as it is our duty to defend our club against the comments of a frustrated ex-player.

The ASLM Clermont club president responded in a statement published by ASM Clermont midday on Sunday 27 October, a few hours after RugbyPass reported the infamous post.

“Following Marvin O’Connor’s unacceptable statements published on X following the defeat against Stade Français, the President of ASM Clermont Auvergne, Jean-Claude Pats, has decided to speak out,” the statement reads.

“The words of a frustrated ex-player”

“I cannot tolerate anyone publicly attacking and denigrating the club or any of its members,’ said Jean-Claude Pats.

‘In his message, Marvin O’Connor expressed a frustration inherited from the past. Christophe made it clear to him, as early as June 2023 and without the need of social channels, that he was not counting on him for the coming season and encouraged him, for his career, to look for a new club.

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Suite aux propos inacceptables de Marvin O’Connor publiés sur X après la défaite face au Stade Français, le président de l’ASM Clermont Auvergne, Jean-Claude Pats a… pic.twitter.com/3Al1tC9AD3

— ASM Rugby (@ASMOfficiel) October 27, 2024

“Marvin chose to stay, even though he knew he wouldn’t get any playing time, which was his decision to make, just as it is our duty to defend our club against the comments of a frustrated ex-player.

“ASM has always been transparent and benevolent towards him, acting in his best interests at every stage…

“Within the club, no one needs an intermediary or social networks to talk to Christophe, his assistants or myself.

“Respect is a fundamental value of our club, and one that we hold dear.”

So, Pats is confirming what we suspected: frustrated at not having been able to play for the club, O’Connor chose social channel to let off steam.

The tweet was finally deleted on Sunday evening.