Your French Football news and talk show in English. LIVE on YouTube every Monday evening at 22:00 GMT/ 23:00 CET. Nathan Staples and Adam White go through another twist in the Ligue 1 tale this weekend and the upcoming World Cup for France.

Click Here: Australia Cricket Jerseys

France front-row Uini Atonio has received a three-week suspension for his illegal tackle on Ireland hooker Rob Herring in Saturday’s Six Nations Test in Dublin.

He initially received a yellow card from referee Wayne Barnes, a decision that was heavily criticised at the time, but following Wednesday’s hearing, Atonio has been banned.

Likely to be available for final game

The suspension would usually mean that Atonio‘s participation in this year’s Six Nations is over as he is scheduled to miss Les Bleus‘ final three Tests of the Championship against Scotland, Wales and England.

However, he will be available for their final clash against the Welsh if he completes a coaching intervention programme.

The full statement released read: “France prop, Uini Atonio appeared before an independent judicial committee via video link having been cited for an act of foul play contrary to Law 9.13 (A player must not tackle an opponent early, late or dangerously.

Click Here: Cheap Melbourne Storm Jersey

“Dangerous tackling includes, but is not limited to, tackling or attempting to tackle an opponent above the line of the shoulders even if the tackle starts below the line of the shoulders.) in the Guinness Six Nations match between Ireland and France on Saturday 11th February 2023.

“The independent judicial committee consisting of judge Mike Mika – chair (New Zealand), Leon Lloyd (England) and Stefan Terblanche (South Africa) heard the case, considering all the available evidence and submissions from the player and his representatives.

“The player admitted that he had committed an act of foul play worthy of a red card. Having reviewed all the evidence, the committee accepted the player’s admission that the tackle on Ireland No. 2 was foul play.

“His shoulder made contact with Ireland No. 2’s neck/face as described in the citing commissioner’s report and therefore reached the red card threshold.

“On that basis, the committee applied World Rugby’s mandatory minimum mid-range entry point for foul play resulting in contact with the head. This resulted in a starting point of a six-week suspension.

Showed genuine remorse

“Having acknowledged there were no aggravating factors and mitigating factors including the player’s immediate admission of guilt, his exemplary disciplinary record and genuine remorse, the committee reduced the six-week entry point by three weeks, resulting in a sanction of three weeks (to be served as the following given the player’s upcoming schedule): 26 February 2023 – France v Scotland 11 March 2023 – England v France 18 March 2023 – France v Wales.

“The player applied to take part in the coaching intervention programme to substitute the final match of his sanction for a coaching intervention, which was granted by the committee. The programme is aimed at modifying specific techniques and technical issues that contributed to the foul play. The player has the right of appeal within 3 working days of the issuing of the full written decision.”

The Wallabies were dealt a setback on the eve of their end-of-year tour to Europe after experienced second-row Matt Philip was ruled out due to an ACL injury.

The 28-year-old sustained the injury during a training session shortly before the Wallabies were due to depart from Australia for their matches against Scotland, France, Italy, Ireland and Wales.

Lengthy stint on the sidelines

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Philip injured himself during a lineout drill and apart from being sidelined for the Wallabies‘ upcoming Tests, he will also miss a significant part of the Melbourne Rebels’ 2023 Super Rugby Pacific campaign.

Philip had only recently returned from a sternum injury and missed Australia’s 40-14 Rugby Championship loss to New Zealand at Eden Park.

It leaves the Wallabies thin in the second-row department with Izack Rodda already sidelined with a foot injury, while Darcy Swain will miss the first two Tests against against Scotland (October 30) and France (November 6) as part of his six match suspension for his horrific challenge on the All Blacks’ Quinn Tupaea in Melbourne.

“Feeling for you MP. We’re all right behind you mate and can’t wait to see you back out there next year,” the Wallabies said in a statement.

Philip is the latest Wallaby forward to be ruled out and he joins Angus Bell (toe) and Rob Leota (Achilles) on the sidelines.

Will Skelton has been recalled to Australia’s squad but is unavailable for selection for the clash against Scotland at Murrayfield under World Rugby’s regulation nine as that Test falls outside the window for clubs to release their players for international duty.

Wallabies head coach Dave Rennie has not decided on a replacement for Philip yet but he has some options to choose from.

Reds lock Ryan Smith impressed for Australia A in their recent matches against a Japan XV while Waratahs utility forward Ned Hanigan was amongst the new additions to the 36-man Wallabies squad.

Added to that, there is still one overseas slot free to fill under Rugby Australia’s current rules. That could may see Northampton Saints’ Lukhan Salakaia-Loto earning a call-up after he was added to the squad for Australia’s series against England in July.

Relishing European tour

The Wallabies are excited about the prospect of playing five consecutive Tests as the part of their build-up to next year’s World Cup in France.

“Australians love an underdog,” Wallabies captain James Slipper told reporters on Wednesday.

“But we want to go over there with the expectation to win as well. We’re not going over there to come second. There’s no good me standing here in front of you talking about what I want to do. It’s about going over there and doing it.

“You kind of want that momentum running into a World Cup. For us, it’s a great opportunity to start that momentum now.”

Click Here: Robert Lewandowski Jersey Sale

Ligue 1 side Montpellier have reached an agreement with Premier League side Newcastle United for the loan of versatile midfielder Henri Saivet until the end of the season, according to L’Équipe.

An option to buy is set to be included worth €5m in the deal.

Click Here: samoa rugby shirts

Worcester Warriors director of rugby Steve Diamond believes that they will be able to finish the season, despite the current financial issues surrounding the club.

Even though they have had assurances from the owners, the players have reportedly yet to be paid their wages for August.

Diamond explained, however, that it is due to the payments coming from another bank account and that they have been cleared to start the season by Premiership Rugby.

Not going by bike

“I’m 100 per cent confident that will happen (Worcester will finish the season),” Diamond told reporters.

“I’m pretty sure that this short-term relief will now stay. If we do manage to get through this, then money does start coming in through the turnstiles.

“We will definitely play the game at London Irish – we will be going on our own coach, no one will be making their own way, we won’t be going by bike.”

Worcester’s preparations for the new campaign have been severely disrupted and it took a further blow when their pre-season clash against Glasgow Warriors was cancelled.

They will have no matches ahead of their opener against London Irish but Diamond is remaining positive, saying: “It might be revolutionary – you don’t play four pre-season games ahead of the season and we could upset the apple cart!

“I am not trying to be joyous but the players have got a very good mentality about them. Are we as prepared as some of the other teams? Possibly not, but as we know it’s a 40-week season.”

Diamond slams previous regimes

The Warriors director of rugby was heavily critical of previous regimes, who he believed spent too much money on players that did not produce on the pitch.

Diamond has sought to alter that mentality and insists that they are on the right track, providing the club can stay in business.

Click Here: ulster rugby shirts

“They’ve always had this sort of also-ran tag but paying superstar money. Since I’ve come in, that has radically changed,” he said.

“They’re a hard-working group now, but they see how delicate it is and they see it’s even more delicate when they speak to their agents because there aren’t many jobs around.”

Worcester aren’t the only English club to be struggling, with the Covid pandemic having a huge impact, and Premiership Rugby chief executive Simon Massie-Taylor believes that it will take a while before the game recovers.

“It’s precarious. Every club has – quite rightly – borrowed money from the government to get themselves through,” Massie-Taylor said.

“I don’t know the finances of any other clubs, but there are other clubs who are in a precarious position.”

Premier League side Chelsea have entered into contact with French international left-back Layvin Kurzawa’s entourage about a possible move this month, according to Gianluca di Marzio.

The Blues have sounded out the former Monaco man as a “plan B” in case their move for AS Roma’s Emerson Palmieri falls through, according to the Italian journalist.

Click Here: meath gaa jerseys

All Blacks hooker Dane Coles insists there is a “collective buy-in” from the squad to look for improvements and find a consistent string of form for the first time in 2022.

The Test season this year has been tumultuous for the All Blacks, including a first series loss in the professional era to a northern hemisphere side in July when Ireland claimed the series 2-1 and a first defeat against Los Pumas on New Zealand soil last weekend.

Big clash this weekend

Coach Ian Foster has been under immense pressure, and a win this weekend is crucial to his future at the helm of the All Blacks looking ahead to the World Cup next year.

Coles has been named on the bench for the second Test against Argentina in Waikato and insists that everyone in the squad is invested in finding a way to win games more consistently.

“The number one thing is getting solutions on how to close out games, win games, and be better,” he said.

“I’ve been in a couple of teams where we’ve lost, and the thing at the moment is there’s been no blame game, or pointing the finger, or going rogue. It’s been a collective buy-in to try and get the result and be consistent in our performances, which has been a real positive.

“It’s a place this team hasn’t been, and everyone has got to stand up and get accountability. If somebody comes at you for not doing the job right, you’ve got to get on with it and take the feedback on board.

“You’ve just got to be clear and free. There’s a lot of stuff that’s happening but you have just got to go out there and enjoy the occasion, and just do your job.”

Loose forwards have been fronting up

Captain Sam Cane has also been under tremendous pressure this season. However, team-mate Ardie Savea has come to the defence of any criticism of the loose trio who are searching for new combinations from a “new breed” of players.

“I felt like the loosies have been fronting up, and we’re just trying to navigate the space of a new breed of players,” he said.

“I think for so long New Zealand’s been used to Reado [Kieran Read], the McCaws [Richie McCaw], the Jeromes [Jerome Kaino], that has been amazing.

Click Here: Wales National Team soccer tracksuit

“And you’ve got a bunch of new boys coming through, and us, myself as well, who are trying to stamp their mark. So, it’s a day-to-day, week-to-week process. But, I feel like we’re tracking well and putting our best foot forward.

“It’s important to build combinations, but, at the same time, you’ve got to perform under those pressure moments.

“Our focus is staying together and tight, and actually being accountable to ourselves in terms of what’s going wrong in our game and what we have to do. That’s something that we really look hard at ourselves.

“If you get selected, you get selected, and you back yourself, and you back the trust in mates that get selected next to you to go out and do a job. That selection process is out of our hands, all we can do is turn up.”

FC Nantes full-backs Wilfried Moimbé and Enock Kwateng are set to join English 3rd division side Oldham Athletic until the end of the current campaign, according to Ouest France.

They will join Dutch attacker Queensy Menig, who is already at Oldham on loan from Les Canaris.

Click Here: Germany soccer tracksuit

The latest men’s World Rugby rankings have been released with Australia dropping down to eight position after they suffered a 24-8 defeat to South Africa in their Rugby Championship encounter in Sydney.

The Wallabies’ margin of defeat means it’s a record low for them in the rankings and they are just a quarter of a point ahead of Wales, who occupy ninth place.

The Springboks sealed a bonus-point victory – their first win over the Wallabies on Australian soil in nine years – which means they stay in third spot in the rankings with 1.42 points added to their overall total.

All Blacks bounce back

Meanwhile, in other Rugby Championship action, New Zealand bounced back in style – after losing to Argentina in Christchurch on August 27 – by turning the tables on Los Pumas courtesy of an emphatic 53-3 triumph.

That result means the All Blacks have moved into fourth place in the rankings while England drop down to fifth and despite their loss, Argentina have moved up to sixth position with Scotland promoted to seventh as a result of Australia’s loss against South Africa.

Men’s World Rankings
(Previous position in brackets)

Click Here: Gold Coast Suns Guernsey

1(1) Ireland 90.03
2(2) France 89.41
3(3) South Africa 87.89
4(5) New Zealand 86.41
5(4) England 86.25
6(7) Argentina 82.32
7(8) Scotland 81.93
8(6) Australia 81.54
9(9) Wales 81.28
10(10) Japan 77.74

He was supposed to be Lyon’s next *great* forward, after Karim Benzema and Alexandre Lacazette, but 16-year-old striker Willem Geubbels, who is more highly regarded at his age now then the other two came even close to being, is set to reject his part in Lyon’s attacking lineage.

RMC and Goal France are reporting that the French youth international has refused a professional contract with Lyon, and wants to leave for a club with a “genuine footballing project,” in what is an enormous slap in the face for Lyon manager Bruno Génésio and President Aulas.

Manchester City and RB Leipzig are amongst the outfits who have sought to sign the player in recent months, but it is AS Monaco who are currently in pole position to land the player.

Lyon appear resigned to his departure, and will seek to sell in summer in order to recoup a fee, with his youth contract running until 2019.

Click Here: louth gaa jerseys