Yoan Cottin will no longer wear the colors of USM. Following an incident with a member of staff, which occurred on the return journey from Brive, the Tarn-et-Garonnais club took the decision to terminate the scrum half’s contract.
It’s been two weeks since the Toulon scrum half made an appearance at collective training at Sapiac. Yoan Cottin was laid off the next day of the defeat against Brive (37-22) on November 28. According to our information, it was on the bus which brought the Sapiacains from Corrèze that the altercation with a member of the staff took place. A gesture which pushed the Montalbanese leaders to take the decision of a one-week layoff initially. After reflection and several discussions with its player, USM made the decision to terminate the contract of number 9.
Will Cottin be replaced?
Yoan Cottin, who arrived in 2023 from Nevers, is therefore no longer a USM player. A factor to take into account for the rest of the season. Last weekend, Sébastien Tillous-Borde and his staff had to deal with the forces present. Hugo Zabalza and Joe Powell, both being in the infirmary, it was therefore Maël Castel who had to assume the starting role against Soyaux-Angoulême. He was also the only training scrum half on the match sheet and played the 80 minutes of this meeting. Valuable playing time for the young scrum half but a solution which still seems a little fragile in the long term. If Joe Powell is available again, (holder against Béziers this Friday evening) and Hugo Zabalza should not be long either, the USM should still start looking for an additional scrum half to end the season.
As a reminder, this season, Yoan Cottin had six match sheets including three as a starter for a total of 197 minutes of playing time.
Morocco
