News: Parra doubtful for
France's summer tour; SCA Albi reach ProD2 play-off final
23 May 2009
Bourgoin
scrum-half Morgan Parra is doubtful for France’s summer tour
following the shoulder injury he sustained in Friday’s
European Challenge Cup final.
Parra
was stretchered off in obvious pain five minutes from the
end as
Bourgoin went down 15-3 to Northampton
Saints at the Twickenham Stoop.
I am not
a doctor but his injury is serious and I really fear he’ll
miss the tour,” said Bourgoin assistant coach Xavier Pemeja.
The
20-year-old had ended the Six Nations as France’s first
choice scrum-half, a position that was enhanced when
Castres’ Sebastien Tillous-Borde was ruled out of the New
Zealand and Australia tour with a knee injury.
Coach
Marc Lièvremont named Parra and Leicester’s Julien Dupuy
when
he unveiled his squad on Tuesday, but he could
now be forced to call up Biarritz’s Dimitri Yachvili, who
was on standby.
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That
would present an intriguing scenario as Dupuy would then be
vying with the player who prompted him to leave Biarritz for
Leicester after getting only limited opportunities.
It was
not the best start for Lièvremont, who must now anxiously
sit through the Top 14 play-off semis and final before
knowing the exact make up of his squad for Down Under.
Meanwhile, SCA Albi became the first team to reach
the ProD2 play-off final – and a shot at promotion to Top 14
– when they beat La Rochelle despite ending 15-15
after extra-time.
The home
side, who were legated from Top 14 last season on financial
grounds, went through due to having scored more penalties
(five to four) than La Rochelle.
Sebastien Boboul kicked the visitors ahead
with his seventh-minute drop-goal and La Rochelle maintained
their three-point advantage up to half time as they went in
9-6 ahead. Boboul added a brace of penalties to his earlier
effort, while Frederic Manca and Blair Stewart replied with
a penalty apiece for Albi.
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Kevin
Boulogne, on as a second-half replacement for the injured
Stewart, then kicked the hosts ahead for the first time in
the match with successful penalties in the 42nd
and 53rd minutes, but Boboul’s 66th-minute
response ensured extra-time.
Boboul’s
fifth success on 90 minutes looked as though it could set up
a shock away win for La Rochelle, but Boulogne’s equaliser
six minutes from time proved decisive.
Albi
will now play the winner of tomorrow’s (Sunday) match
between SU Agen and Oyonnax.
The winner of that match
will then be promoted to Top 14, along with
ProD2 champions Racing-Metro 92.
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