Bastareaud banned for hit 'bordering on assault'

Toulon captain Mathieu Bastareaud appeared this evening before the commission of the National League of Rugby.

The centre was sent off after lashing out at Castres lock Christophe Samson during their Top 14 match last Sunday. The Toulon man hit Samson across the head with his forearm, earning him a straight red card in the process.

It happened in the 69th minute with Samson lying on the ground, with one commentator describing it as “bordering on assault”.

He was banned for 5 weeks and should be reunited with his teammates for the Edinburgh / RCT European Cup match on Saturday 20th October.

It’s not the first time that Bastareaud has been in trouble with the authorities, most recently in January when he picked up a three week ban for using a homophobic slur during a Champions Cup match against Benetton Rugby at Stade Félix Mayol.

He missed France’s opening game of the 2018 Natwest Six Nations against Ireland as a result.

Bastareaud was cited by the match Citing Commissioner, Dennis Jones for verbally abusing the Benetton Rugby flanker, Sebastian Negri Da Oleggio, in the 80th minute of the match in contravention of Law 9.12.

The ref mic picked up Bastareaud calling Negri a ‘f***ing f****t’ which caused a storm of criticism for the player.