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Lancaster era at Racing begins with 'nasty' fourth-minute red card
The Stuart Lancaster era at Racing got off to a dubious start on Saturday when his new team suffered a fourth-minute red card for a crocodile roll. The Parisians were hosting Bordeaux in the opening round of the 2023/24 Top 14 campaign and their pre-season planning under the ex-England boss was given a rude awakening just minutes into the match at La Defense Arena.
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Having worked as senior coach at Leinster since September 2016, Lancaster has now taken up the director of rugby role at Racing but the last thing he would have expected was seeing his team so quickly reduced to 14 men.
The clock was stopped on three minutes and 29 seconds so that the referee Vincent Blasco Baque could review an incident that had taken place at a ruck where ex-French loosehead Jefferson Poirot went foraging for a turnover after Nolann Le Garrec had carried the ball to a ruck.
Bordeaux No1 Poirot was crocodile rolled away from the breakdown by Racing lock Boris Palu and with his left leg crumpling, the play was quickly stopped so that a TMO review could happen.
The match was broadcast live on Premier Sports and this is how their commentator described the stoppage in play that ultimately resulted in Palu getting red-carded and Poirot substituted due to the extent of the injury he suffered:
Ouch … this is awful clearout by Boris Palu = Red Card 🟥#R92UBB | #TOP14 pic.twitter.com/UZRxXR616M
— Brett Igoe (@brettruganalyst) August 19, 2023
“It is Boris Palu who has tackled him [Poirot], it looks like he just bends his leg over as he turns him. There is Poirot going down. I don’t think there is anything particularly foul play but that’s nasty. That is very nasty. That is horrible – that has got ACL written all over it.
“Boris Palu is going to be sent off for dangerous play. It’s one of the new rules that is coming in. They are cracking down on dangerous play in the game. It’s a red card because of the fact that he tackled him and bent his knee back the wrong way.
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“Boris Palu does not understand. It is going to take some understanding of this new rule or this new interpretation of the rule. Poirot has had to come off… it’s not the start that both sides would have wanted.”
Racing went on to cope admirably with being a man down for 76 minutes, going on to win 23-18 with two tries from Le Gerrec.
Comments on RugbyPass
Fiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
1 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
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31 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
4 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
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31 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
31 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to comments