Top 14: Leota banned for 30 days;
Sonny ‘Bill’ Williams back in training
07 November 2008
 Discipline,
or lack of it, continued to be a major theme in France this
week with Mont-de-Marsan’s Trevor Leota the latest player to
pick up a suspension.
The Samoan hooker has been banned for 30 days by the LNR for
his dangerous tackle against Biarritz on October 24.
Leota, who was sent off for the offence just minutes after
coming on as a substitute, will now miss the Top 14 matches
with Castres and Dax.
The LNR further fined both clubs – Mont-de-Marsan and
Biarritz - €5,000 for the ‘bagarre generale’ (mass brawl) in
the same ill-tempered match.
Bayonne medic Jacques Manic was also up before the beak, and
has been punished for his “indiscipline” during the Basque
derby against Biarritz with a 10-day touchline ban.
Meanwhile, back at crisis club Toulon, a tumultuous week
both on and off the pitch looks to at least be ending on a
positive note with confirmation that Sonny ‘Bill’ Williams
is back in training.
The former Australian rugby league star has been sidelined
with a fractured fibula since the opening week of the
season.
Williams’ playing return will be a welcome boost to
under-pressure coach Tana Umaga following six successive
defeats for the French club.
However, the news on Italian lock Santiago Dellape was less
welcoming, with an MRI scan confirming damaged internal knee
ligaments that will rule him out until the end of the month
at least.
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