FFR to investigate Bayonne battle
Friday, 17 August 2007 11:30
The French Rugby Federation (FFR) are to open an inquiry following the incidents in Ireland's World Cup warm-up match in Bayonne that saw Brian O'Driscoll sustain a fracture to his sinus.
Ireland captain O'Driscoll was taken to hospital with what first appeared to be a fractured cheekbone, after he was punched midway through the second half.
The 28-year-old is set to miss his country's first game of the World Cup as a result, while elsewhere in the fractious friendly, five players were sin-binned as the game threatened to boil over.
An appalled Bernard Lapasset, the FFR president, has vowed to open an investigation into the incidents.
'I haven't the words to describe what I feel,' he said.
'This should have been a festival of rugby in a full stadium. Happily we sent an official delegate, a foreign referee.
'I want to know what happened. I will open an inquiry.'
Bayonne, a side who play in the Top 14 in France, have come in for some criticism for their heavy-handed approach to Thursday's friendly.
But their captain Richard Dourthe felt Ireland were as much to blame for the incidents that took place.
'There was a bit of muscle, but it was muscle on both sides,' he said in L'Equipe.
'We responded individually, they did it collectively
Friday, 17 August 2007 11:30
The French Rugby Federation (FFR) are to open an inquiry following the incidents in Ireland's World Cup warm-up match in Bayonne that saw Brian O'Driscoll sustain a fracture to his sinus.
Ireland captain O'Driscoll was taken to hospital with what first appeared to be a fractured cheekbone, after he was punched midway through the second half.
The 28-year-old is set to miss his country's first game of the World Cup as a result, while elsewhere in the fractious friendly, five players were sin-binned as the game threatened to boil over.
An appalled Bernard Lapasset, the FFR president, has vowed to open an investigation into the incidents.
'I haven't the words to describe what I feel,' he said.
'This should have been a festival of rugby in a full stadium. Happily we sent an official delegate, a foreign referee.
'I want to know what happened. I will open an inquiry.'
Bayonne, a side who play in the Top 14 in France, have come in for some criticism for their heavy-handed approach to Thursday's friendly.
But their captain Richard Dourthe felt Ireland were as much to blame for the incidents that took place.
'There was a bit of muscle, but it was muscle on both sides,' he said in L'Equipe.
'We responded individually, they did it collectively