Convicted Laporte ‘suspends himself’
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AS 2022 gives way to 2023, and about three weeks after he was convicted of corruption charges, the future of FFR president Bernard Laporte remains marginally less unclear than it did 24 hours after the Paris court's decision.
As the ruling was announced, Laporte's lawyers immediately indicated that he was going to appeal against his two-year suspended prison sentence, €75,000 fine and suspension from any role in rugby.
It is likely to be at least 2024 before he sees the inside of a courtroom again. And that means his sentences are on hold pending the hearing.
But he has been obliged to provisionally stand down from his role as vice president of World Rugby – the odd phrase the governing body used in its press statement was ‘self-suspended' – while it also said that its ethics committee would investigate the matter further.
Following a meeting with France's decidedly unimpressed Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra days before Christmas, and a decision by the FFR's own ethics committee to order him to stand down, he agreed to do the same from the French union.
“Notwithstanding the fact that the presumption of innocence is a right of public order which is imposed and that I would be legally entitled to maintain myself in the functions that I occupy, I have decided to follow this injunction ‘to the letter',” Laporte said in a statement.
Oudéa-Castéra further insisted that any ‘president delegate' – expected at this stage to be one of Patrick Buisson or Serge Simon – stepping in to his office in his stead should be approved by the FFR's member clubs in a vote.
That vote will take place between January 23 and 27. After which, someone else will be in charge in the interim and in the period leading up to next year's World Cup. But, Laporte will still hold on to his ‘President' title.
While the FFR presidency circus merry-go-rounds in the background, the second half of the Top 14 season rings out the old year and rings in the new, with matches on December 30, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.
Bayonne had not one but two festive gifts for their fans. On Christmas Eve, they announced the arrival of former Sale winger Marland Yarde until the end of the season.
Then, on Christmas Day, Father Christmas confirmed – in perfect French – that Olympic gold medallist Sireli Maqala, who has nine tries in 29 matches for the club, had signed a new deal through to 2025.
On Saturday, coming off an entertaining 22-22 draw at Pau before Christmas, they entertain Toulon at sold-out fortress Jean Dauger. The Basque side – ahigh-value advert for promotion and relegation this season – have won all their home matches, and gave Toulon a scare at Stade Mayol on the opening weekend of the season. With more experience behind them, and in front of a packed, chanting, house, they'll be confident of more points.
Good news has been hard to come by in basement side Brive so far this season. They headed into their Christmas derby against Clermont without a win since October 1, and without a head coach since Jeremy Davidson was relieved of his duties later the same month.
“Bayonne announce arrival of former Sale wing Marland Yarde until the end of the season”
Today, with a New Year's Eve trip to Lyon – who were dismal in defeat at Toulon last Thursday, losing 21-3 – on their agenda, Brive are still bottom of the table. But things have changed. They have a head coach: former La Rochelle and Toulon boss Patrice Collazo started on Monday, having agreed an initial 18-month deal last week. And they have a well-deserved win to their name, coming from behind to beat Clermont 20-16 with an 89th-minute try at Stade Amedee Domenech to close the gap to 13thplaced Perpignan to a single point.
Even before he officially started work, Collazo was busy, ensuring scrum-half Enzo Sanga – who was on the brink of a mid-season switch to Clermont – would stay at the Correze club until at least the end of the season.
It's too much to expect Brive to turn over Lyon at Stade Gerland and only the most one-eyed fan
would deny they're still favourites for relegation, but suddenly the future looks clearer, a little brighter, and that brings some grounds for optimism.
Clermont, off their hard-fought defeat, meanwhile, entertain Toulouse – Top 14 leaders at the halfway point, seven points clear of second-placed Stade Francais, and hot off a hard-fought 22-18 derby win over Castres – at Stade Marcel Michelin. There's no doubt Toulouse have decided they have some wrongs to right, after their campaign fell off the rails spectacularly in the semi-finals of both the Champions Cup and the Top 14 last season.
Stade Francais, who atomised Racing 92 at La Defense Arena on Christmas Eve, picking up a try-scoring bonus en route to a 48- 10 win on the road, are at home on New Year's Eve to Pau.
A chastened Racing, meanwhile, head to Castres – who did better than expected last week against Toulouse in front of a 30,000 crowd at Stadium Toulouse. Given their form on the road this season, last season's losing finalists, who are currently 12th in the table, were quietly pleased with their losing bonus point, and hope it will kickstart a stronger second half of the season.
Perpignan, meanwhile, who were on the wrong end of a 38-10 hiding at Montpellier in their last outing before Christmas, will hope to heap more misery on visitors La Rochelle – who were beaten 12-8 at home by Bordeaux.
It was Bordeaux's first win on the road this season, and their first success at Stade Marcel Deflandre since 2014, and will stand them in good stead for the visit of Montpellier to Chaban Delmas for the opening match of the 14th round of the campaign.
