Top 14. Toulouse’s big stat on his indiscipline at the start of the season
By Clement Mazella
Published on
This is the whole paradox of the start of the season Toulouse stadium : with 4 wins in 5 games, including two successes in Montpellier and Bordeaux-Bègles, the Haut-Garonne club is at the top of the Top 14 ranking. It is also the leader in a very specific area: the number of red cards linked.
Indeed, with the expulsions ofAlban Placines facing the UBB, richie arnold in Pau and that ofEmmanuel Meafou in Montpellier, the Rouge et Noir have already suffered 3 red cards after only 5 days of Top 14. The other teams in the championship combined: 0!
Toulouse king of red cards… and fewer yellow cards
3 red cards in such a short time, it’s rare. Very rare even, especially in the ranks of Toulouse. Imagine that over the entire last season of Top 14, with 28 games played, Ugo Mola’s men had only received… 2 (Joe Tekori in Biarritz and Charlie Faumuina in Brive). 3 reds is as much as for the whole of the 2020-21 financial year, all competitions combined.
Let’s push the paradox to the end: if Toulouse is the team that has received the most red cards at the start of the season, it is also the one who received… the fewest number of yellow cards. The 3e ligne Rynhardt Elstadt is the only one to have been expelled temporarily, the champion in the matter being named Perpignan (6). As an indication, Toulouse has been penalized 46 times this season (including 5 times in one match, and 7 times twice), i.e. 9 penalties conceded on average per match, which is very honest.
Toulouse appealed for Richie Arnold
“I don’t think we are more in the sights of the referees with these reds. In fact of faults, the rules are clear and the referees applied them. There is nothing to say”, said to Rugby News at the beginning of the week the second international line Thibaud Flament. “These are game facts that do not go our way. At one second, the situation may be different”.
Expelled to Pau, the second row Richie Arnold will spend this Thursday, October 6 in Appeal Committee, not understanding / having difficulty accepting the 4 weeks of suspension which was avoided after a tackle deemed high and dangerous on the 3e Pau line Lekima Tagitagivalu. The verdict will be known at the end of the day.
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