Bonnaire escapes punishment - protégé of Bismark also get’s away with Stamping

Clermont Auvergne flank Julien Bonnaire escaped further punishment for foul play in a European Cup match against Scarlets.

Bonnaire was cited by match citing commissioner Mike Rafter for stamping or trampling on the Scarlets No.8 Rob McCusker in contravention of Law 10.4(b) during the first half of the Pool Four game at Parc y Scarlets.

However, it was decided that the act of foul play committed by the player did not warrant a red card, and Bonnaire is therefore free to play.

Under the IRB Sanctions for Foul Play, Law 10.4(b) carries the following sanction entry points: Low End: Two weeks; Mid-Range: 5 weeks; Top End: 9 to 52 weeks.

The independent Judicial Officer Christopher Quinlan heard evidence and submissions from Bonnaire, ASM Clermont Auvergne's legal representative Charles Fribourg and ERC Disciplinary Officer Roger O'Connor.

The Judicial Officer found that Bonnaire had committed an act of foul play in that he stamped on McCusker's leg, and Bonnaire accepted that he had been guilty of foul play.

However, in upholding the citing complaint, the Judicial Officer decided not to impose any sanction as he determined the offence did not warrant a red card.

JW

Where did you get the latest story from about Bismarck stamping and getting away with it?   What has he got to do with Bismarck in any event.

You NZ supporters must really be miffed because Bismarck dare to tackle Dan Carter.   Are you afraid of the guy?

Good one Wardad, lol  The must have been some foi gras in Richie's eye during the RWC final too

The French being innocent of dirty rugby?   Boy-o-boy I wonder about that one.

In the early 1970's a French team was on tour in SA and this story relates to that tour.  I was at that stage working in Pretoria and went on leave to the Southern Cape.   The home rugby team was playing Knysna and my father and I went to see the game.  Those days you could park the car next to the rugby field and I was sitting on my Pretoria registered car watching the game when a spectator came and offered me 4 test tickets for the Durban test  against the French.  As per normal had no money and my dad had to pay for the tickets.

The first test was the following Saturday in Bloemfontein and since I had to start work after that weekend,  I travelled back to Pretoria and used the opportunity to go and watch the Bloemfontein test.  Getting back to Pretoria I told a friend of mine about the tickets and we decided to go to Durban for the second test.   The arrangement was as follows:-

*   I provided the tickets - no extra costs for me

*   One provided the car for the trip

*   The second one arranged that we would stay with his brother in Durban

*   The third one provided the food for the road and payed for the petrol.

When they picked me up the Friday at about 12:00 I asked them to stop at the Bank to allow me to draw some money - but they said it was not necessary.   We had everything we needed.   The problem was with the "food" for the road - it consisted of three bottles of brandy and three bottles of cane spirit plus coke and sparkling lemon to soften the impact a bit.   By the time we got to Warden in the Free State (about half way to Durban) we thought the food supply (at least the mixes) was finished and we were thirsty - so we stopped at the local bar for some further "refreshments".   When the bar closed - we went on our merry way to Durban arriving there about 2m the Saturday morning.

Now we were really hungry and decided to go the Smugglers Inn - a notorious bar and brothel in Point Road.   Getting there we saw a huge fight at the entrance  with knives flashing.   Despite the joy juice we were not brave enough for entry and knowing the Police would turn up soonest, we decamped and went to the beachfront where we got some curry and rice for real food.  We eventually got to the home where we were supposed to stay at 5am.

We had a few hours sleep and woke up with a terrible thirst plus a massive hangover.  We searched the car and found half a bottle of brandy and half a bottle of cane left.  Since liquor could not be taken to the rugby field those days - we decided to mix the stuff adding coke to the brandy and sparkling lemon to the cane.   Problem was we were not all that clever- the result the brandy and coke ended up in the sparkling lemon bottle and the cane and sparkling lemon in the coke bottle.

Anyway - now off to the match. The hangover plus the added joy juice and the hot Durban sun made life a bit difficult and I cannot really remember the match - but for one incident happening on the field of play.   A fight  broke out between the players and lasted for about ten minutes before order was restored and the match could proceed - the biggest fight ever during any test match - I believe.

The next day on the way back to Pretoria I said to one of my mates - "Dup, what is your wife going to say when she finds out what you were doing with that prostitute at Smuggies?"   He went white in the face and started pleading with us  to keep it secret.

Problem was the bugger was passed out on the back seat of the car and we did not enter Smuggies in any event.

Lesson to be learnt from the above:-

1   The French are no angles and they can be dirty players; and

2   I took a firm decision to limit alcohol consumption in future (a difficult resolution but kept to some extent since that trip)