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End is nigh for banned Latu at Stade after club owner's outburst
Ex-Wallabies hooker Tolu Latu is set to leave Stade Francais after a suspension for his latest red card reportedly prompted a stinging outburst from club owner Hans-Peter Wild. Stade were beaten 22-9 at home in last weekend’s Heineken Champions Cup first leg round of 16 match against Parisian rivals Racing 92.
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It was a limited performance not helped by Latu getting sent off for a dangerous tackle on Baptiste Chouzenoux with 13 minutes remaining. It was his second red card in successive European matches, as he was also sent off last January versus Connacht.
Whereas that incident where he used abusive language towards referee Wayne Barnes only resulted in a one-match ban, his latest sending off resulted in a far heftier eleven-game ban that has ruled him out of the remainder of the Stade Francais season in Europe and the Top 14.
This dismissal apparently ignited a rant last Monday from Stade Francais owner Wild which suggested that Latu had played his final match for the club after three season in Paris. The 29-year-old moved to France after making the last of his 19 Test appearances for Australia in their 2019 World Cup quarter-final defeat to England in Oita.
His discipline at Stade Francais has been an issue, Latu accumulating two red and six yellow cards this season, and L’Equipe have reported that the Australian forward is now unlikely to represent the club again. The French sports newspaper alleged that Wild banged his fist on the table in front of staff and was visibly annoyed by his club’s poor performance in the Parisian derby.
“We have a president [Wild himself] who can offer a lot of money, but who can also lose a lot without finding yourselves backed up against the wall,” said the owner.” Whether we finish fourth, sixth, tenth or even 14th, it does not affect anyone directly. Some players are paid dearly, but they don’t behave like professionals. I don’t like losing money. I had promised to spend €100million for the club. It’s already the case and the results are not up to par.”
Wild, who also confirmed the imminent arrival of Morgan Parra in Paris from Clermont to coach next season, didn’t mince his words about Latu. “Latu is a problem,” he reportedly said. “Above all, Latu has an extra-sports problem with alcohol. You have to recognise it, otherwise you will never solve the problem.
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“He spends more time off the pitch. Moreover, vis-a-vis young people, it’s not a good example. He needs to heal, reorganise his life. We can help him but as with any addiction, Latu is like an elephant in your living room. To solve the problem, you have to take out the elephant and not take out the broken objects.”
The likely exit of Latu and fellow hooker Lucas da Silva, who is going to Brive, would be offset by the probable arrivals of Mickael Ivaldi from Lyon and Lucas Peyresblanques from Biarritz.
Comments on RugbyPass
Bar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
35 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
35 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
35 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
35 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
35 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
35 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
35 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
18 Go to comments