Bourgoin’s Romer resigns; Cecillon’s sentence
is reduced and Saint-Andre quits
04 December 2008
Bourgoin’s deteriorating season continued in
freefall with the news Tarcisse Romer has resigned from his
post as director general at the Top 14 club.
Romer, who joined the club in October 2007,
tendered his resignation to Bourgoin president Pierre
Martinet on Wednesday and will now leave the Top 14
strugglers following their weekend clash with Worcester
Warriors in the European Challenge Cup.
It is just the latest blow in a troubled
season for Bourgoin, who have been fighting to hold it
together both on and off the pitch.
Romer’s resignation follows the recent
departure of sporting director Eric Catinot and comes on top
of serious financial worries for Bourgoin.
Martinet has already had to deal with a
player delegation unhappy with the current situation, and
now the club is also facing the very real possibility of
relegation despite a stunning away win at Castres at the
weekend.
Off the pitch, former Bourgoin and France
captain Marc Cecillon has been sentenced to 14 years
in prison for killing his wife.
The 49-year-old had appealed the original
sentence of 20 years following his trial two years ago.
Cecillon, who won 46 caps between 1988 and
1995, shot his wife five times in a drunken rage during a
party in Saint-Sevin in August 2004. Police said he was
asked to leave after slapping a woman, but returned with a
gun and shot his wife in front of 60 party guests after she
refused to follow him outside.
The court heard that Cecillon had fallen into
alcoholism after retiring from rugby in 2003.
Following the appeal ruling one of Cecillon’s
daughters – Angelique – told reporters: “The sentence is a
bit fairer than in Grenoble [where the first trial took
place] but it will not bring my mum back”.
Elsewhere, Castres president Pierre-Yves
Revol has been confirmed as the new chairman of the
Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR).
Revol picked up 66 out of 68 votes during
Thursday’s morning vote at the Hilton Hotel in Orly, and
succeeds outgoing chairman Serge Blanco.
Meanwhile, Perpignan made a two-hour
presentation to the LNR in its ongoing appeal against Marius
Tincu’s 18-week ban. A decision is not expected until
Friday.
Over in Toulon the rumour mill keeps
churning with Sale’s Philippe Saint-Andre again being
linked with Tana Umaga’s coaching post.
Apparently
the pair met last week to discuss the possibility, and the
rumour was given added credence when Saint-Andre announced
today that he would be leaving Sale at the end of the season
after five years at the helm.
The former France captain guided Sale to the
Premiership title in 2006.
“The last five years have been very exciting
and I am proud of the achievements of the team over this
period,” said Saint-Andre.
Meanwhile, freelance coaching consultant
Jake White – who starts a three-week stint at the French
club today – has confirmed that he will be returning to
English club Saracens for two further one-week blocks in the
New Year.
It seems the lure of teaming up again with
Eddie Jones – his assistant when South Africa won the 2007
World Cup – is proving too great. Oh, and he’s probably
getting a wedge of cash too.
Reports in France recently had suggested that
White was being lined up to replace Umaga, but it now seems
that Saint-Andre is first in the queue.
The club’s starting XV for tonight’s match
against Montpellier in the ECC will be without star names
Jerry Collins and Joe van Niekerk as they rest their limbs
in preparation for the ongoing relegation battle.
Toulouse
have been hit by further injury news ahead of their Heineken
Cup clash with Newport Gwent Dragons.
The Top 14 leaders, who are already without
David Skrela and Jean-Baptiste Elissalde, have now lost
Argentine second row Patricio Albacete with a knee injury.
Loose forward Finau Maka had already been
ruled out following injury while on international duty with
the Pacific Islands, while Manu Ahotaeiloa is also doubtful
with a thigh injury.
On the brighter side – and there is always a
brighter side with Stade – international prop Jean-Baptiste
Poux has signed a new contract keeping him at Toulouse until
2013.
Stade Francais
are also experiencing injury problems with locks Arnaud
Marchois and Simon Taylor both in doubt for Saturday’s match
against Harlequins at the Stade de France.
With tyro lock Loic Charlon not registered
for Heineken Cup duty it could mean a positional switch for
club captain Sergio Parisse, who usually plays in the back
row.
First choice fly-halves Lionel Beauxis and
Juan-Martin Hernandez will also be sidelined through injury,
meaning Guillaume Bousses is likely to start at No 10.
The ongoing Matt Giteau story
continues to hog the headlines back in Australia with the
ARU chief executive officer John O’Neill insisting the
Wallaby fly-half will have to honour all his existing
contracts.
That would mean continuing to play for
Western Force until the end of next year’s Super 14 season,
and remaining within Australia until after the 2011 World
Cup to complete his ARU contract.
Earlier this week Giteau said he was taking
time out to consider a lucrative four-year offer from Top 14
side Bayonne, reported to be worth just under $10m (Aus).
“We understand that the French are throwing a
lot of money around,” said O’Neill, before adding that as
far as he was concerned Giteau would not be able to take up
any European club offer.
“His circumstances are pretty cut and dried,”
said the ARU man.
Dax
coach
Thomas Lièvremont said he is relishing taking on London
Irish’s Mike Catt when the two clubs meet in the European
Challenge Cup.
“I remember Mike Catt from our first meeting
at Stade de France way back in 1998. I’m not at all
surprised he has gone into coaching as he was always a great
strategist with a strong understanding of the game,” said
Lièvremont.
He also indicated that with the club now up
ninth in the Top 14 they might not rest as many players for
the clash as they did for their ECC games earlier in the
season, which were both lost. “It means we are now playing
for pride and we have no intention of letting these games go
easily,” added Lièvremont.
|
