France coach FUMES at rules after controversial Lebanon defeat and calls for change
France's players celebrate Arthur Mourgue's drop goal.
France coach Laurent Frayssinous admitted he was almost reduced to tears after their dramatic defeat to Lebanon – which included a hugely controversial moment that left him at a loss with the rules in play.
After Arthur Mourgue kicked a stunning long-range drop goal to send the game to golden point extra-time, Catalans star Cesar Rouge thought he had won it for Les Bleus with a nerveless drop goal from in front of the posts.
However, replays ultimately showed that Thomas Lacans was in front of the play and was deemed to be acting as a ‘blocker’. It is a move that is allowed to pass in Super League without penalisation: but not in the NRL.
From there, Lebanon headed up the field and won the match with Abbas Miski’s dramatic try – and Frayssinous admitted he was crushed after the game.
France coach questions rules
Frayssinous admitted that with the entire French team having to adjust to a new set of rules different to what they play in across Super League and the domestic game in France, it was impossible for his players to be aware of the blocker rule.
“A lot of highs and lows in there emotionally. What can I say? What do you want me to say? You want me to say if we play that game with the Super League rules, we win the game?” he said.
“That’s what you want me to say? Or if you played the NRL game and our boys don’t get to use that rule? I don’t want to take away what my boys have done tonight. They made French Rugby League very proud and I’m proud of them.
“We discussed how embarrassed we were for the first two games and tonight they responded against NRL players, so I’m pretty proud (and) really disappointed not to win the game, especially with (it being) Ben Garcia’s last game.
“It was pretty chaotic, and I was smiling 20 minutes ago and now I’m nearly crying.”
“It’s a different rule in the Super League. You’re allowed to do that in Super League. It’s as simple as that,” he continued.
“You have to train with our rules to understand a bit more and even if we had during the tournament some referees coming in and we shared with them the ruck speed and everything was perfect.
“It’s one way you talk about it and one way you practice it. But practice it for four or two weeks and a half is not enough. It’s as simple as that.”
Frayssinous calls for rule unity
The France coach then closed his press conference by insisting the only common sense outcome was for both major competitions to now be aligned on the rules they play with, to avoid a repeat of the situation in the future.
“I like NRL rules and the way the game is played,” he said. “That’s what I like. What I don’t like is my boys playing in Super League and when you play an international game it’s also different.
“There’s two rules that aren’t the same. I’m not going to say it because we lost but we didn’t play the game to be qualified for the semi-final as well.
“I’m happy with the attitude and the way my boys responded in the last two games.”
