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SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP

SCOTLAND

Brunel rings changes ahead of Scotland game

Italy coach Jacques Brunel labelled Scotland one of the Azzurri's "most difficult opponents" after making six changes to his starting XV ahead of this weekend's Six Nations clash at Murrayfield.

Brunel rings changes ahead of Scotland game
Italy coach Jacques Brunel labelled Scotland one of the Azzurri's "most difficult opponents". Photo: Gabriel Buoys/AFP

Italy are bottom of the tournament table after defeats to Ireland (26-3) and England (47-17), the latter reverse taking its toll on Brunel's strugglers.

Injuries have ravaged his squad, although it was a 'domestic incident' that ruled experienced Toulon prop Martin Castrogiovanni out of action after he received a nasty bite on the nose from a friend's dog last week, prompting hospital treatment, 14 stitches and a course of antibiotics.

"Castro is not training so as to avoid any risk of infection, and is still following a course of antibiotics," said team manager Luigi Troiani.

"He will not be available for the trip to Scotland, but we'll be counting on him returning as soon as possible."

Castrogiovanni is replaced by Dario Chistolini.

In all, six changes were made by French coach Brunel, who has handed full debuts to Michele Visentin and Enrico Bacchin.

It remains to be seen how Italy's reshuffled squad face up to the challenge of the Scots in Edinburgh, but Brunel admitted: "For us, Scotland represent one of our most difficult opponents.

"From 2013 until now we've lost to them, twice by only a point, after we lost control of things at the end of the game.

"They're a side without any particularly strong points, but they have few weak points.

"Against France they were always in contention and against Wales they had a great start. They're difficult opponents, especially at home."

Visentin comes in for injured right wing Leonardo Sarto, while Bacchin replaces injured Andrea Masi at inside centre.

"We have a few changes in the three-quarters because of injuries," added Brunel.

"We started the tournament with (Michele) Campagnaro and Morisi in the centres and after Michele suffered his injury we brought in Masi, who has experience in this position.

"When Masi was also ruled out, we decided to opt for Bacchin, who, from the start of the season, has played alongside Morisi the most. It seems to us the logical choice."

Brunel has kept faith with the half-back partnership of Kelly Haimona and Edoardo Gori for the sixth game in succession, while in the pack Simone Favaro comes off the bench to replace Mauro Bergamasco.

His choice of Haimona over Tomasso Allan augurs well for the New Zealand-born player ahead of this year's World Cup.

"Haimona did well in our first two Tests in November, struggled a bit against South Africa and although he had few chances to make a real difference against Ireland he showed promise against England at Twickenham," said Brunel.

"He was involved in our first try and managed to create a chance for Masi…he showed some good stuff.

"It's a pity he missed some points with the boot but we have to show some faith in him. From here to the World Cup there are only six games, we need some consistency in a key role like fly-half."

In the second row, Joshua Furno steps in to replace injured Marco Bortolami to partner George Biagi, who has secured his third successive start in this year's tournament.

Chistolini's inclusion is one of two changes in the front row with Alberto De Marchi dropping to the bench in place of Matias Aguero.

Italy have beaten Scotland seven times in their previous 22 meetings although the Scots have won their past three meetings.

In the last two, the Scots came away with last-gasp victories – 21-20 in last year's tournament in Rome and 30-29 during a summer test in Pretoria in 2013.

Italy last got the better of Scotland in a 13-6 win at the Stadio Olimpico in 2012.

Team (15-1)

Luke McLean; Michele Visentin, Luca Morisi, Enrico Bacchin, Giovambattista Venditti; Kelly Haimona, Edoardo Gori; Sergio Parisse (capt), Simone Favaro, Francesco Minto; Joshua Furno, George Biagi; Dario Chistolini, Leonardo Ghiraldini, Matias Aguero.

Replacements: Andrea Manici, Alberto De Marchi, Lorenzo Cittadini, Marco Fuser, Samuela Vunisa, Guglielmo Palazzani, Tommaso Allan, Giulio Bisegni

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SPORT

French rugby in turmoil as FFR boss gets suspended sentence over corruption

Lawyers for FFR President Bernard Laporte said he was going to appeal against the court's verdict

French rugby in turmoil as FFR boss gets suspended sentence over corruption

French rugby was reeling Tuesday after the president of the country’s governing body Bernard Laporte was handed a two-year suspended prison sentence on corruption charges nine months before France hosts the game’s World Cup.

Fédération Française de Rugby (FFR) president Laporte, 58, was convicted after a French court ruled he showed favouritism in awarding a shirt sponsorship contract for the national side to Mohed Altrad, the billionaire owner of Top 14 champions Montpellier. He was also banned from holding any rugby post for two years. Both are suspended pending an appeal, which Laporte’s lawyer said was imminent.

Laporte later stepped down from his role as vice-chairman of the sport’s global governing body, World Rugby, pending a review by the body’s ethics officer.

“World Rugby notes the decision by World Rugby vice-chairman Bernard Laporte to self-suspend from all positions held within its governance structures with immediate effect following his conviction by the French court in relation to domestic matters, and pending his appeal,” World Rugby said.

“While acknowledging Laporte’s self-suspension and right of appeal, given the serious nature of the verdict World Rugby’s Executive Committee has referred the matter to its independent ethics officer for review in accordance with its integrity code,” it added.

Resignation call
Laporte faces problems on the domestic front, too, with Florian Grill, who narrowly lost to him in the 2020 election for federation chief, calling for Laporte and the entire board to stand down.

“It is unheard of in rugby, this is an earthquake,” Grill told AFP. “We have never before seen a president of the federation condemned to two
years in prison, even if it suspended.

“We think the 40 members of the board of directors should draw the obvious conclusions and resign.”

French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera said the sentence was an “obstacle for Bernard Laporte to be able, as it stands, to continue his mission in good conditions” as federation president, and called for a “new democratic era to allow French rugby to rebound as quickly as possible and sufficiently healthy and solid, with a governance by the federation that will have the full confidence of the clubs”.

The court found that Laporte ensured a series of marketing decisions favourable to Altrad – who was given an 18-month suspended sentence and
€50,000 euro — in exchange for a €180,000 image licensing contract that was never actually carried out.

Altrad’s lawyer said he would study the decision before deciding on whether to appeal.

At the trial’s close in September, prosecutors said they were seeking a three-year prison sentence for Laporte, of which he should serve one behind bars, and the two others on probation.

The friendship and business links between Laporte and Altrad are at the heart of the case.

It goes back to February 2017, when they signed a deal under which Laporte agreed to appear at Altrad group conferences, and sold his image reproduction rights, in return for €180,000.

But while that sum was  paid to Laporte, prosecutors claim that he neveractually provided the services he signed up for.

Laporte did, however, make several public statements backing Altrad and, in March 2017, signed the €1.8 million deal with the businessman making his namesake firm the first-ever sponsor to appear on the French national team’s jerseys.

The Altrad name and logo still features on the shirts thanks to a follow-up deal negotiated by Laporte in 2018 and which prosecutors say bears all the hallmarks of corruption. It is also on the All Blacks’ national squads’ shirts, and New Zealand Rugby is reportedly seeking an urgent meeting with company officials following the court ruling.

Laporte, formerly a highly successful coach who guided France twice to the World Cup semi-finals (2003 and 2007), was also found guilty of favouritism
with regards to Altrad’s Montpellier Herault Rugby (MHR) club.

He was convicted for intervening with French rugby’s federal disciplinary commission to reduce a fine against the club from €70,000 to €20,000 after several telephone calls from Laporte.

While prosecutors saw this and several more incidents as proof of illicit favouritism, Laporte himself had claimed there was no “cause-effect relationship”.

On the last day of the trial in October, Laporte’s lawyer Fanny Colin accused the prosecution of “confirmation bias” by “taking into account only elements backing their original assumptions”.

The verdict comes only nine months before the Rugby World Cup kicks off in France on September 8, 2023, with matches played in nine stadiums across the country.

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