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'Out of order' attack on Henry Pollock results in ban
By Josh Raisey
Bordeaux Begles prop Jefferson Poirot has been banned for two weeks after grabbing the throat of Northampton Saints back-row Henry Pollock after the final whistle of the Investec Champions Cup final as the Top 14 outfit won their maiden title.
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The France and England internationals were involved in a fracas shortly after Nika Amashukeli blew his whistle at the Principality Stadium, which Saints director of rugby Phil Dowson branded “out of order”.
The 32-year-old was subsequently cited and charged with contravening Law 9.27 – A player must not do anything that is against the spirit of good sportsmanship.
An independent Disciplinary Committee comprising Simon Thomas (Wales, Chair), Marcello D’Orey (Portugal) and Val Toma (Romania) heard the case by video conference on Thursday May 29, where Poirot accepted that he had committed an act of foul play that warranted a red card.
The committee determined the act met the low end of World Rugby’s sanctions, which carries a four-week ban.
However, due to the prop’s guilty plea, good disciplinary record and full co-operation with the disciplinary process, the ban was halved, meaning he is free to play again on Monday June 9.
Saints and England fly-half Fin Smith said after the match: “They were after him (Pollock). I don’t think they liked him. He will be alright.
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“I remember they (Bordeaux players) all sort of charged at him and were trying to get hold of him.
“I am surprised if you have just won a European Cup, the first thing you want to do is start a fight with a 20-year-old. I felt that was interesting.”
Saints skipper Fraser Dingwall added: “I don’t think there was bad blood (in the game).
“The only thing that I questioned at times was how much can we constantly have the values of the game applied on things like appealing.
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“I think there were a couple of moments where boys potentially didn’t adhere to those things, and that is going to spark a reaction.”
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Syntax advice from the barely literate. Actually, both are grammatically correct.🤫
It’s a bit like criticism about a country’s RWC record from a fan of a team that’s never won a knockout game.
It’s not funny if it doesn’t wind you up.
Shouldn’t that be “advised ON how to use…”🤫
I think we could have hours of fun assessing your ‘personality type.’
Your prize for winning ‘Irish bingo’ with your ‘Cromwell!!!!’ post is to be advised how to use personal pronouns.
A don’t hit. I press.
A fundamental, elemental difference. Personality type really.
Regrettably I can't reply to all of these wonderful comments. Particularly from our lovely new friends who have just joined. Possibly as troll accounts.
Young Henry is a talented player. There are plenty of young talented players across the game.
He'd a bad day at the office in his first final. It happens. He got his runners up medal. They got the cup. It was a week ago. Time to move on.
“The whistle goes, and obviously it’s pretty heated,” said Pollock. “Dingers and Jalibert were pushing and shoving. I went over, pushed Jalibert and thought, ‘I’m not letting Dingers be on his own here.’”
Unbeknownst to Pollock, Poirot had reportedly charged over from the bench with a clear target.”
So Pollock escalated handbags between Dingwall and Jalibert, pushing Jalibert. Poirot comes in. Pollock pushes him. Poirot shoves him (on the neck).
Sorry but if this happens during the match and there are cards shown Pollock is getting one all day for escalating. Hateful sod. Utterly embarrassing for Northampton or it should be at least. We have had a week of this sore losing. If the Lions becomes centred around the blond ego planet then I’m giving it a skip.
Pollock pushes a French player: he gets shoved back (on neck). Runs to ref and gets the French player banned.
I must admit I was gone on Pollock but I like and admire him now….NOT.
Except, that’s not what happened, is it? It’s just another fantasy you’ve cooked up in your mum’s basement.
Surprised you aren’t more outraged that Bordeaux had a 6-2 split on the bench! Any update from your mole on the world rugby board meeting yet…
Video shows the fracas has started with 3-4 Northampton players around Pollock and 2-3 Bordeaux players. Pollock is seen trying to get over Poirot to get at another UBB player. Pollock pushes this player and then Poirot grans him by the throat: shoves him back like “fights over son: F**k off!”. The Pollock runs to the ref and here we are.
Poirot must plead guilty to get his ban from 4 down to 2.
Embarrassing for Northampton TBH.
They needed to punch above their weight this year and they will need to Leinster. They have pissed off 2 of the big 3 teams now. No smash and grabs will be on offer this year.
Hopefully we will have a better standard final next year.
Before this game, Henry Pollock was viewed in France like a young talented and a little arrogant player.
Now ,he is viewed as a crying arrogant player.
There is a UBB player who is not far from him, even if is older, and this is not Poirot.
It’s one of those “he hit me back first” kinds of things.
Rugby includes a lot of chirping, niggling and the occasional escalation to some pushing and shoving, none of which warrants a red card. Of course if it crosses the line into punching, stamping, gouging etc then that is different.
This outcome seems badly calibrated. There are more important things for rugby officials to be reviewing.
Agreed….
If the incident took place on a pitch.
Jalibert and Pollock has words
Pollock takes the hump and shoves
French players run in
Pollock tries to get at a French player and pushes him
Poirot shoves him back…
I can’t help but feel Pollock gets one of the cards for escalation.
Rugbypass, your terminology is dramatic in a dishonest kind of way. “attack”, really?
It’s anglocentric fake news. England is almost like a Donald Trump bubble now.
Nigel Farage headed the biggest party at last election: they are a nation of idiots.
Jefferson is a funny name that always reminds me of the Married With Children character. Hilarious that a French prop shares that same name too!
From wot I saw that grab had no more force than what Macron's wife had.
Pollock and his Coach's reactions are only because they saw the future if there was any real intent by the French player.
The main reason why the bloke pleaded guilty was because he lookt out the window and saw the guillotine being sharpened and so chose the whip.
Basically bullshti….a South African perspective on a non event
It has been captured now, another view. Pollock has idiotically given an interview. It was handbags between Jalibert and Dingwall. Jalibert said his piece. Dingwall pushed him. The Pollock runs in and pushes Jalibert. Poirot comes in to make it 2 v 2. Pollock now pushes him! Poirot shoves him catching his neck. Cue a week of English whinging and dishonesty.
You didn’t ‘see’ anything. The original action wasn’t captured on TV, and the only ‘reaction’ from Pollock appears to be trying to extricate his neck from the grip of a prop.