YOANN Maestri’s £26,000 fine for bringing the game into disrepute after criticising English referee Wayne Barnes for his handling of the France v Wales clash in Paris is an interesting one.
French lock Maestri’s swingeing fine was almost £6,000 more than Joe Marler received for his ‘gypsy boy’ comment at Wales prop Samson Lee last season. This time the ‘derogatory’ comments were aimed at Anglo- Saxons with Maestri nailed by a Six Nations disciplinary panel for saying what most French players throughout the ages believe, albeit mistakenly.
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