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Sun 12 May 2013 | 07:05
Mass brawl in French second division playoff between Pau and La Rochelle

21
Comments

There was chaos in France last night as the Pro D2 semi final game between Pau and La Rochelle degenerated in what resembled a street fight in the last ten minutes. Three players were red carded within a few minutes, as Pau won 30-16.

The playoff was marred by incidents, despite them starting fairly late in the game. There were earlier scuffles, and there's a bit of history between the two sides, but by the time the fights happened, Pau were already looking comfortable and on the way to victory.

Pau backs coach David Aucagne said: "It's ugly. There was a dispute, but it is rugby, you must stay focused. I am not sure that was the case today. Daniel [Ramsay] has probably broken hand. They [La Rochelle] managed to get what they wanted. This is great," he added sarcastically.

La Rochelle would no doubt disagree with his assesment of matters, but whatever the case, three players were red carded in about two minutes, and it wasn't a great advert for rugby.

Referee Cedric Marchat sent off Johan Wessels and Marlon Solofuti first, then Jordan Seneca a few minutes later, but he probably could have picked from a number of culprits.

Eventually he had to go to the sideline, where things were also heated, to ask the coaches to speak to their players. Lots of finger pointing aside, things finally calmed down after that.

The Related Posts below the video feature 11 other mass brawls you probably won't want to miss

View the try scoring highlights from the match

Time: 5:45
Credit: chuckyrmc

All the try scoring highlights from the Pau vs La Rochelle Pro D2 Semi Final 

Posted By: Grant Constable

21 Comments

  • d-matt
    2:28 PM 22/05/2013

    What I prefer remember from this game :

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-_QywLv3R4

    That's what we love in rugby, here in southern France.

  • ithilsul
    3:03 PM 15/05/2013

    Didn't mean to reply to that specific comment, I just wanted to congratulate you for seeing it ^^.

  • ithilsul
    3:02 PM 15/05/2013

    Clearly the whites (La Rochelle) are responsible for that mess. Especially the 19 on first fight, and 16 on both.

  • browner
    2:36 PM 15/05/2013

    Bristol 2nds v Newport c. 1987 players repeatedly broke off into fighting, captains couldn't control events, & referee walked off the pitch.......

    Top man, the players faces were a picture ....... they couldn't referee themselves so they abandoned the game....... wonderful statement made by Sir, and the whole rugby world should support referees in this situation ......& this includes TV companies and advertisers & supporters ...... some of these assaults are almost criminal !

    Bollocks........ all advertisers accept the risk of sponsoring , if the club who loses sponsorship due to their players being uncontrollable doesnt get the message then tough shit. Tv should vote with it's feet & steer clear of clubs with such an attitude, the players will learn through lower wages, lower contracts & bans.

    The players were intent on scrapping, Such a bad advert for the game, get rid.

    Agree - decisions made for money reasons stink.

  • browner
    2:18 PM 15/05/2013

    faces [not paces !]

  • browner
    2:14 PM 15/05/2013

    Bristol 2nds v Newport c. 1987 players repeatedly broke off into fighting, captains couldn't control events, & referee walked off the pitch.......

    Top man, the players paces were a picture ....... they couldn't referee themselves so they abandoned the game....... wonderful statement made by Sir, and the whole rugby world should support referees in this situation ......& this includes TV companies and advertisers & supporters ...... some of these assaults are almost criminal !

    Bollocks........ all advertisers accept the risk of sponsoring , if the club who loses sponsorship due to their players being uncontrollable doesnt get the message then tough shit. Tv should vote with it's feet & steer clear of clubs with such an attitude, the players will learn through lower wages lower contracts & bans.

    Such a bad advert for the game, get rid.

    Agree - decisions made for money reasons stink.

  • drg
    12:12 PM 15/05/2013

    think* think* think* damn phone!

  • drg
    2:19 AM 15/05/2013

    This you're on the wrong website buddy..

  • drg
    1:49 AM 14/05/2013

    Brilliant English, far better than my French. Thank you for providing some facts on the player (Uini Antonio), sounds like a monster!

  • ajb
    5:04 PM 13/05/2013

    The Pau 19 who got red carded was a little unlucky I thought. Yes he could be said to have escalated the incident by pulling a rochelle player away, but this was after the rochelle player had hit a prone team mate of his on the floor, and after that he seemed more to be trying to defend himself against the attacking rochelle players, backing away while they tried to hit him. Other Pau players seemed to do more. Maybe he seemed like the instigator.

  • guy
    2:58 PM 13/05/2013

    If there hadn't been so much pathetic behaviour on the pitch, this tackle might even have warranted a seperate item on RD. Definitely very, very good tackle!

  • drg
    1:30 PM 13/05/2013

    Ahh, I've been missing these sorts of entries from the French. I love French rugby...from a safe and comfortable position that is..

    Anyway, onto the moody git sensible comment. It was somewhat unsurprising that it all erupted again after the first dust up, neither team looked like they had sorted their issues out. Although the first scrap was sort of instigated by the Pau team (with a sort of headlock rucking technique) I feel that La Rochelle were definitely more in the mood for fisty cuffs, and definitely dished out a lot of them!

    Hard to really comment on the red cards, first one to LAR player was fair enough, he threw the first punch (and my, if it caused that cut on the guys head (and not a stray boot) then it was a pretty good strike!). Hard to see which one the Pau guy was in the whole thing, with the camera going in, out, in, out, but I'm guessing he was a bad egg too.. Can't fault the second red card to the La Rochelle 16, as Colombes said he was definitely in "i f**k everyone mode".

    By the second brawl had the giant bearded La Rochelle player been taken off? He certainly seemed like a good mediator in the whole thing... his size meant the "little 'uns" had no great desire to push him about and he just seemed to do well to get between the whole lot.

    Fantastic tackle to halt that quick penalty!!!!

  • colombes
    11:52 AM 13/05/2013

    The number 16 of La Rochelle was in "i f**k everyone mode" during the 2 brawls

  • mattyj
    12:36 AM 13/05/2013

    16 shoulda had red after the first incident haha what a bruiser!

  • dollsliving
    11:43 PM 12/05/2013

    Great tackle at 3:51

  • stroudos
    11:40 PM 12/05/2013

    White 19 Wessels looks like a complete wanchor. What a nasty cheapshot.

  • reality
    11:24 PM 12/05/2013

    I wouldn't be at all ashamed to support Pau, that's for sure.

  • alexanderioannou
    11:18 PM 12/05/2013

    There are 4/5 players there who should be given season long bans minimum. And I wouldn't be surprised if no16 has charges pressed against him.

    It happens in level 5/6 rugby in the UK, it should happen in this standard as well.

  • atilla
    11:16 PM 12/05/2013

    The times you were allowed to do "everything" in the last 10 minutes are long gone, but not in France... Must be the southern atmosphere. ;-)

  • technomouse
    11:08 PM 12/05/2013

    More like 4:18.

  • technomouse
    11:07 PM 12/05/2013

    At 4:20, does one of the players in white slap the guy who's being pinned to the ground on the left of the screen on the arse? Cheeky.

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