La Rochelle hit lucky

It was a while ago, now, but French rugby watchers with longer memories may recall the other Top 14 semi-final between Toulouse and La Rochelle in Bordeaux on June 21 – and the second-half red cards for props Uini Atonio and Reda Wardi that, it could easily be argued, cost Ronan O’Gara’s side a place in the final.

Both players were later handed four-week suspensions by the French league’s disciplinary committee, but the date of their returns were left blank.

A straightforward person might consider that they would miss the early rounds of the new season. It seems not, however. Reports in France, citing the Ligue Nationale de Rugby, suggest that the three matches of France’s July tour of Argentina and Uruguay can be counted as part of the suspension – even though neither player was selected for the tour, in part because they had been sent off in the semi-final and subsequently banned.

Furthermore, it seems that La Rochelle’s single pre-season outing – against Pau on August 30 at Stade Marcel Deflandre – could also count towards their suspension total, meaning that both Atonio and Wardi might well be available for La Rochelle’s opening Top 14 match, at home to Toulon, on September 8.

It’s very handy for La Rochelle, of course – especially because Joel Sclavi is away on Rugby Championship duty with Argentina for the start of the new season.