[
THE BREAKDOWN
]
FRANCE LOOK FOR NEW COACH
FRANCE
CONFIRMED
HAVE
they will be looking for a new coach
after this year’s World C
up. T
he French Federation of Rugby have
advertised the post – which will end speculation that incumbent
Philippe St André is in line to be aorded a contract extension.
St André’s reign has been deemed one of the worst in French
history. They have only won eight of 20 Six Nations games and
picked up the wooden spoon in 2013. After France lost to Wales this
year, St André launched into a scathing attack of his players.
“International rugby is about combat, humility,” he said. “But
above all it’s a collective sport. We don’t need starlets. In rugby, the
team is the star and we need champions. Yesterday, I didn’t see any
champions, or not many.
“I only want players who are ready to go to the end of the world. If
anyone thinks that international rugby is too dicult, then they have
my telephone number. They can call me and I’ll take someone else.
I’ll even take a 20-year-old lad who’s never played in the Top 14.
“At some point you have to ask the right questions. We’re at our
level, that’s the truth. It takes the Welsh 30 seconds to score three
points and it takes us four minutes. We’re the Father Christmas of
international rugby and that’s what I told the players.”
A month later and the FFR released a statement inviting coaches
to apply for the job by sending a CV and covering letter.
10
// NZ ruGBY WOrlD // JUNE/JULY 2015
Australians push for late tests
AUSTRALIAN EXECUTIVES are hopeful they
can p
ersuade t
he N
orthern H
emisphere to shift
the timing of future June tests so Super Rugby
no longer has to endure a three-week hiatus.
Bill Pulver, Australian Rugby Union chief
executive, laid out the position at a recent
World Rugby meeting. He argued that the
financial impact was too severe on Super
Rugby and that it denied fans the logical flow
and momentum required to build interest.
“From a Southern Hemisphere perspective,
we are frustrated that the June in-bounds
force this big break in Super Rugby,” he told
the Sydney
M
orning
Her
ald.
“We would love to change that. In an ideal
world you would have a Super Rugby season
that starts in February and ends in the end
of June, and then you would roll into your
internationals…
“That is an item on the agenda. [But] change
on the international match calendar is bloody
hard. We have put a couple of options to them
that we think could work – some that are quite
exciting.
“I don’t want to talk about them just yet, but
we have thrown a couple of options at them
that we really think are worth looking at.”
NO MORE
The French have
confirmed the
turbulent reign of
Philippe St André
will end later this
year.
Top 14 could
become T
op
12
THE 14 TOP FRENCH may become
the T
op 1
2 if B
ernard L
aporte is
successful in his bid to take the helm
of the national body.
The former French national coach
is to date the only candidate to have
declared his interest in succeeding
Pierre Camou as the president of
the French Federation. Laporte, who
has announced he will step down as
coach of Toulon in June, believes the
league would benefit from being cut
to 12 teams.
“The championship has to be cut
down to 12 clubs [from 14] and end
with a final between the top two
in the standings,” Laporte wrote in
Journal du Dimanche.
“That would free up six weeks to
prepare the [national] players and
put the France team centre stage.
Of course this is something for the
[National Rugby] league to do, but I
would lean in this direction if I were
in charge. Recall who is in control:
it’s the Federation, they delegate
powers to the league.”
WATSON’S FUTURE IN DOUBT
THE
ANDRE
OF
FUTURE
Watson in his role as
South African r
eferee’s boss was uncertain
as this issue went to print following a raft of
complaints lodged against him.
South Africa’s Sunday Times reported in April
that 24 ocials had voiced complaints against
Watson. The paper said that Watson was
accused of a range of inappropriate behaviour
that included verbal abuse, victimisation,
Watson’s abrasive management style and
financial
i
mpropriety.
A falling out with senior referee Rasta
Rasivhenge is alleged to be the catalyst for
the complainants coming forward. According
to the Sunday Times, it is alleged that Watson
told Rasivhenge last year: “I’ll f**k you up, I’ll
destroy you.”
Rasivhenge has since left South Africa to
work in Australia. The 56-year-old Watson
refereed a record number of finals in the
Rugby World Cup (2), Currie Cup (7) and
Super Rugby (5).
He has been in the role of South African
Rugby Union’s manager of referees since 2011.
