We could have another bloodgate on our hands. Whether one believes Dean Richards’s misdemeanour was the vilest crime perpetrated against a trusting world or just another storm in a teacup, the fact is it came with a three-year ban – and there is little to distinguish it from the manoeuvre France appear to have engineered in Paris. What is more, unlike Harlequins’ fast one, France’s worked in the most dramatic of circumstances.
Damien Chouly’s try, at the end of the 100th minute of a game that seemed as if it would never end, secured France the win that clinches their first finish in the top three of the Six Nations since 2011. But the method by which they secured it is sure to attract the attention of the folk with access-all-areas badges. And then there is the livid bite mark on the left arm of George North. That, too, is sure to be investigated.
Related: Wales coach Rob Howley accuses France of ‘undermining game’s integrity’
Related: Racing 92 president Jacky Lorenzetti says Stade Francais merger is off
Continue reading...