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'We withdrew report': Row diffused over 14-second Toulouse gaffe

(Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)

A row over Toulouse playing 14 seconds of a Top 14 match with an extra player has been diffused after Brive withdrew its report on the issue following last weekend’s 26-8 home defeat by the defending champions. Jeremy Davidson’s strugglers took issue with a 72nd-minute incident in the loss that leaves them just three points clear of Perpignan and the relegation zone with just one regular-season match remaining. 

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Toulouse, who are in the sixth and last playoff spot in the title race, were leading 23-8 when  Cyril Baille, Zach Holmes and Martin Page-Relo all entered the game as late replacements at Stade Amedee-Domenech. 

Only two players came off the field, however,  Dorian Aldegheri and Pita Ahki, and it left Toulouse, who had Charlie Faumuina red-carded on 18 minutes, briefly taking on Brive with 15 players when they should only have had 14. 

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The error had no direct consequence on the score and the result of the match and it only took 14 seconds until the next stoppage of play which resulted in Romain Ntamack coming off to give Brive back their numerical advantage. In the aftermath, Brive boss Davidson said: “We have to see what we are going to do with the club.”

Something similar had taken place in a Nationale level game in 2020 between Nice and Narbonne. Nice unwittingly played 30 seconds with an extra player and despite this fleeting advantage having no impact on the result, the match had to be replayed. But that won’t happen with Brive and Toulouse and a line was drawn under the matter on Sunday morning. 

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Brive president Simon Gilham explained in the French media: “What happened is that we reported this numerical superiority to the LNR on Saturday evening, as a precaution. We had to do it at that time. We followed a certain procedure, you even had to pay for it. Afterwards, we went to bed and on Sunday morning, we examined the situation and we realised that there was nothing to say.

“Toulouse’s superiority was obvious, so we decided not to do anything – we withdrew our report. We could only admire the performance of Toulouse, who were better than us on the pitch. I called Didier Lacroix who thanked me.”

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J
JW 40 minutes ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Where? I remember saying "unders"? The LNR was formed by the FFR, if I said that in a way that meant the 'pro' side of the game didn't have an equal representation/say as the 'amateur' side (FFR remit) that was not my intent.


But also, as it is the governing body, it also has more responsibility. As long as WR looks at FFR as the running body for rugby in France, that 'power' will remain. If the LNR refuses to govern their clubs use of players to enable a request by FFR (from WR) to ensure it's players are able to compete in International rugby takes place they will simply remove their participation. If the players complain to the France's body, either of their health and safety concerns (through playing too many 'minutes' etc) or that they are not allowed to be part in matches of national interest, my understanding is action can be taken against the LNR like it could be any other body/business. I see where you're coming from now re EPCR and the shake up they gave it, yes, that wasn't meant to be a separate statement to say that FFR can threaten them with EPCR expulsion by itself, simply that it would be a strong repercussion for those teams to be removed (no one would want them after the above).


You keep bringing up these other things I cannot understand why. Again, do you think if the LNR were not acting responsibly they would be able to get away with whatever they want (the attitude of these posters saying "they pay the players")? You may deem what theyre doing currently as being irresponsible but most do not. Countries like New Zealand have not even complained about it because they've never had it different, never got things like windfall TV contracts from France, so they can't complain because theyre not missing out on anything. Sure, if the French kept doing things like withholding million dollar game payments, or causing millions of dollars of devaluation in rights, they these things I'm outlining would be taking place. That's not the case currently however, no one here really cares what the French do. It's upto them to sort themselves out if they're not happy. Now, that said, if they did make it obvious to World Rugby that they were never going to send the French side away (like they possibly did stating their intent to exclude 20 targeted players) in July, well then they would simply be given XV fixtures against tier 2 sides during that window and the FFR would need to do things like the 50/50 revenue split to get big teams visiting in Nov.

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