Manu Tuilagi discovers the Top 14. The powerful English center plays his first match in his new Bayonne colors against La Rochelle, and during a first period completely controlled by Rowing, the number 12 distinguished himself with a big tackle on the maritime captain Grégory Alldritt. Who was annoyed at the referee of the match who, after watching the video, did not consider that the head-to-head contact between the two players deserved a sanction.
“- Eric (Gauzins, the video referee, Editor’s note)do you have a contrary image, the player is complaining there. Shall we do the check anyway?
– You are obliged to make a call on this for the safety of the players. I take it here…
– The tackle is legal, it’s your head that tilts forward.
– It’s not legal. Don’t talk to us about player safety again.”
Here is the full exchange between the referee Mr. Ramos of the Bayonne – La Rochelle match and the La Rochelle captain Grégory Alldritt. In the 29th minute, and while the Maritimes were completely out of their depth, trailing 20-0 against the conquering Basques, number 8 from Stade Rochelais took the center of the field after a touch on the halfway line. But the solid captain was stopped short by a big tackle from Manu Tuilagi, the three-quarter center of Aviron who was playing his first match under his new colors. Alldritt remains on the ground, and after a quick exchange between the referee and his colleague on the video, the action is reviewed. In the images, head-to-head contact is visible between the Frenchman and the Englishman, but it is difficult to clearly state that the tackle is illegal or, on the contrary, correct, because if Alldritt is really hit in the head, and the speed of the action is strong, the three-quarter center seems to want to surround his opponent. Everyone will have their own opinion. For Mr. Ramos and his video referee, on the other hand, the situation is clear: “He takes it on the shoulder for me, do you agree with that?”asks the man with the whistle before confirming his decision, and provoking the cold anger of the La Rochelle captain.
This contentious situation in no way detracts from the more than successful first period of the Bayonnais, who outrageously dominated the debates against the apathetic Rochelais and far from their level displayed since the start of the season. Ronan O’Gara decided to bring in his five forwards as soon as they returned from the locker room to try to make up for the 25 points behind.
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