LNR publishes the result of its O'Gara, Urios disciplinary hearing

Ronan O’Gara and Christophe Urios have each escaped a ban for their tempestuous sideline clash at the end of the first half in the recent La Rochelle Top 14 win at Bordeaux. TV footage showed the pair of coaches going head-to-head with each other on April 2 after Urios took issue with the manner in which O’Gara was celebrating something that had just happened on the pitch before the interval.

After a celebratory fist pump, O’Gara appeared to direct some words in the direction of Urios and the former hooker didn’t take kindly to it and set off to confront O’Gara. The pair exchanged words before Urios appeared to reach out with a half-hearted cheek slap for the Irishman, who dodged the outreached hand.

Urios let fly at his post-match interview, telling French media at the time: “This guy is unbearable. I regret that the fourth or fifth referee did not do his job. How can we enter the field? How do we connect people? He’s really lucky.

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“He goes to the stands, he f*** the m… in the stands. He goes to the edge of the field, he f*** the m… at the edge of the field. He is unbearable. Are you telling me that it must already go to committee? But I don’t care, it’s over. I moved on. I don’t care about him.”

Both coaches were asked by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby to explain their actions at a disciplinary hearing on Wednesday and the outcome that was issued on Thursday stated that the pair had been reprimanded for their behaviour. 

An LNR statement read: “Ronan O’Gara was found responsible for ‘indiscipline’ and in particular ‘nervousness’ (nervosité) and is sanctioned with a reprimand. Within the framework of article 65 of the general regulations of the LNR, La Rochelle are not sanctioned.

“Christophe Urios was found responsible for ‘indiscipline’ and in particular ‘nervousness’ and is sanctioned with a reprimand. In the context of article 65 of the general regulations of the LNR, Bordeaux-Begles are not sanctioned.”

The outcome will be a relief for O’Gara who is currently serving a two-game LNR ban following a disciplinary hearing last week into an incident in last month’s Top 14 win by La Rochelle over Racing 92. 

An LNR statement last week read: “Ronan O’Gara was found responsible for ‘indiscipline’ and in particular for ‘contesting the decisions of match officials’. Consequently, taking into account, in particular, the disciplinary record of O’Gara, he was sanctioned with a two-week suspension and a €1,000 fine.”

This decision left O’Gara without a hands-on matchday role for the two-legged European round of 16 affair with Bordeaux which started last Saturday with La Rochelle’s 31-13 win at Stade Chaban-Delmas and continues with this Saturday’s second leg at Stade Marcel-Deflandre.