French star banned for taking Cocaine and Wales international faces surgery fear

French star banned for taking drugs and Wales international faces surgery fear

The latest rugby news stories from Wales and beyond today

Oscar Jegou of France

French star banned for cocaine

Oscar Jegou, a French rugby player, was given a one-month ban from the sport after testing positive for cocaine during a drug test in August.

The La Rochelle back row has been suspended, the French anti-doping agency (AFLD) said on Tuesday night. The test was administered to Jegou, 20, following his team’s August Top 14 season opener.

The youngster, who represented France in the U20 World Cup, might have been suspended for four years, but the AFLD determined that the drug use was “recreational.” Two days before to the game, during a housewarming party, the alleged event occurred.

According to the L’Equipe article, once Jegou began a treatment and awareness program, the regulating board reduced the three-month sentence to a one-month one.

As stated by the players’ union’s general director Mathieu Giudicelli to Le Parisien, “He [Jegou] is very affected by the situation, he is well aware that he made a mistake, he knows it.”

Shortly after Rhys Webb, a former scrum-half for Wales, tested positive for growth hormone during a drug test, he was temporarily suspended from competition. Webb will not be permitted to play until the case is over, notwithstanding his denial of the charge.

Plumtree could face surgery

Taine Plumtree, a back rower for the Scarlets and Wales, may need surgery and a lengthy recovery period soon.

Since suffering a shoulder injury during Wales’ World Cup warm-up match against England in August, Plumtree has been dealing with the injury, and his region has now acknowledged that he will likely need the issue properly addressed moving forward.

Head coach Dwayne Peel stated, “He is touch and go this weekend due to some shoulder issues.”

“In the long run, I believe he will need shoulder surgery, though I’m not sure how much.

“We will provide an update next week or assess our progress by the end of this week, as we are awaiting expert opinions and another scan this week.

“He’s been beneficial to us.

“Although he is an excellent athlete, he is aware that there are aspects of his game that require improvement.

“He is prepared to work, he is a good character within the group and been a good fit for us and Wales where you are going to have a player in a year or so who will be very competitive.”

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Owen Farrell not going anywhere

Written by PA England Rugby Correspondent Duncan Bech

Following his World Cup experience, Owen Farrell is determined to continue playing for as long as possible.

After an agonizing semi-final loss to South Africa, Farrell guided England to a third-place finish in France. However, in contrast to many of his international peers, the 32-year-old has no intention of gazing beyond the finish line.

During the World Cup, Ben Youngs, Courtney Lawes, and Jonny May played their last Test matches; Dan Cole, Joe Marler, Danny Care, and Manu Tuilagi are also on the verge of retiring from international cricket.

However, Farrell has hinted that he might still be in Australia in 2027 when England begins its rebuilding process.

The Saracens captain declared, “I love what I do, I’m passionate about it, and I don’t see that slowing down any time soon,” at the Investec Champions Cup season opener held at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

“I consider myself extremely fortunate to be doing something I’m incredibly enthusiastic about, and if I continue to be excited about what I’m doing, I want to play for as long as possible.

“The two go hand in hand because without excitement, it’s impossible to pursue your goals, play for the teams you want to play for, or perform at the level you want to.

“I wouldn’t sit down and set targets. But I also wouldn’t say they are not in the back of my head, quietly.

“I wouldn’t be one to say ‘I have written this down, this down and this down, this is what I want to achieve and this is what I am working for every day’. But they are there in the background.

“The exciting bit is what’s in front of us. Where you can take what you’ve been doing and how to get the best out of yourself. Hopefully there’s loads more of that.”

Peter O’Mahony steps down

Ireland stalwart Peter O’Mahony has relinquished the Munster captaincy after 10 years.

The flanker has announced he is stepping down from the role with immediate effect after first taking the armband ahead of the 2013/14 season.

O’Mahony said : “Captaining Munster has been a dream come true for me.

“I grew up watching and idolising the Munster team and in particular the people who were leading the team.

“People like Mick Galwey, Jim Williams, then on to the likes of ROG and Paul [O’Connell], who I had the privilege of playing with at the start of my career.

“I can remember the day I was asked to be captain like it was yesterday and discussing it with Paul to get his approval.

“From that day to this it’s been an utter privilege and has never been something I’ve taken for granted.

“However, having given a huge amount of thought to it, I think it is the right time to step back from the role to share my experiences and give the same guidance that I received when I took on the role.”

Head coach Graham Rowntree said: “You couldn’t pick a better leader than Pete and he has been a fantastic captain for this club.

“To lead Munster from such a young age and for so many years speaks volumes of his ability as a player on the pitch and a person off it.

“He commands huge respect and will still be a massive leader within the group. To have someone of Pete’s experience on hand to help us with the succession process is invaluable.”

Sonny Bill Williams slams Eddie Jones

All Blacks World Cup-winner Sonny Bill Williams has slammed former Australia coach Eddie Jones, labelling his Wallabies tenure as ‘comical’.

Jones’ stint as head coach of Australia over a nine-month period was a disaster, with the iconic rugby nation being dumped out at the pool stages for the first time ever.

During the Rugby World Cup, rumours began to circulate that Jones had a secret meeting with the Japanese Rugby Federation over the head coach role there.

The former England head coach categorically denied the claims at the time, saying he was “committed to Australian rugby” shortly before he resigned from his post. Since leaving that role, Jones has indeed confirmed that he interested in taking up the vacant head coach position with the Brave Blossoms.

Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, dual World Cup-winner Williams called Jones’ tenure ‘comical’, saying: “Obviously, he had that meeting,’ he said.

“It says a lot about his character to be honest. It’s comical. I still can’t believe it. I saw straight through his antics and his big-talking. This is a bloke who has a track record of burning bridges.

“The things that he’s done … if he was a player, you wouldn’t stand for it. It’s quite nice that they are being held accountable, just like players are.”

Williams also called out Jones after the Australian omitted three very experienced players from his World Cup squad: Michael Hooper, Quade Cooper and Bernard Foley. Jones even labelled Hooper as “not the right role model” for the current crop of players.

Williams continued: “‘I found those comments disgusting. I was really upset for those lads. The sad thing was that he couldn’t just leave with dignity. He had to leave with some firing shots by calling Hooper, Foley and Quade not role model material? What does that make him?

“I see this as the reset Australian rugby needs.”

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