“A gratuitous attack, there is not even a debate”, Ugo Mola returns to the violent clearing of Rochelais Tolu Latu

Stade Rochelais hooker Tolu Latu received a three-week suspension for a dangerous clearance on Toulouse’s Simon Daroque. The Australian international only received a yellow card in the 51st minute of the match won by the Rochelais, during the 14th day of the Top 14, for an irregular charge on the young scrum half of the Rouge et Noir. The clearing of the 31-year-old hooker, who arrived suddenly on the side of Daroque in a group, had forced the Toulouse man to come out, injured in the shoulder.

Friday at a press conference before this Saturday’s clash against the South African Sharks, Toulouse manager Ugo Mola spoke about this matter. “A gratuitous aggression, when the game is stopped, the referee has whistled and the players are in vulnerable situations, there is not even a debate. What we hope is that beyond the decision-making tree of the referees, there is also a form of common sense in arbitration, he declared. When a player from Stade Toulousain or elsewhere endangers another through attitudes that are not tolerated in our environment, he must be sanctioned. No one should deviate from the rule.”

After the short defeat of the young Toulouse guard in La Rochelle, the star of the French XV, Antoine Dupont, congratulated his teammates on his Instagram account, before adding a few words, addressed to the world of arbitration: “On the other hand, the protection of the physical integrity of the players…”

“The distribution channel and Antoine’s ability to be listened to speed things up”

And Ugo Mola added: “If I have a player from home who behaves like that, he will be one of those who watches the others play. You put your team in danger, you put the opponent in danger and there is no point in doing that. So yes, Antoine is perhaps an ambassador for changing things because he is a major player in world rugby. Except that, once again, the broadcast channel and Antoine’s ability to be listened to speed things up. Good for us and for him.”