RUGBY – Crushed by the English club Northampton on Saturday in the quarter-final (59-22), the South Africans are in the sights of the EPCR, the governing body.
This is not going to help the case of the South African teams, integrated for two years in the Champions Cup, formerly the European Cup. Beaten, crushed or even crushed in England at Northampton this Saturday evening in the quarter-final of the competition (59-22), the Blue Bulls would be in the sights of the EPCR, the governing body managing the competition.
In question, a potential “non-respect of the integrity of the competition”. For his quarter-final, Jake White – 2007 world champion as coach of the Springboks and former manager of Montpellier from 2014 to 2017 – decided to make a large turnover. Surprising for a final phase match. The latter defended himself before the match, affirming that his group had the potential and experience to win the match. Le Roux, Van Staden, Nortjé, Goosen, Coetzee and Papier were absent. White also explained that some of these players were not present due to “physical glitches.”
What sanction?
But the EPCR should open an investigation. The governing body considers that the establishment of a “B team” constitutes a “failure to respect the integrity of the competition”. If it considers and confirms that the Bulls really cheated on this obligation, the South African club could be excluded from the competition. But everything remains to be proven.
