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Bordeaux recruit an ex-referee but deal for former AB Saili is off
By Liam Heagney
Laurent Cardona has become the latest retired referee to join the staff of a Top 14 club, linking up with Bordeaux for the 2022/23 season but he now reportedly won’t be working there with former All Blacks midfielder Francis Saili. Capped twice in 2013, the 31-year-old Aucklander was contracted to relegated Biarritz until June 2024.
However, he was recently named on the list of 19 Biarritz leavers with the club making preparations for its return to Pro D2 and it was expected that Saili would move on to Bordeaux, the Top 14 semi-finalists. For weeks that move appeared to be a done deal but it has not come to fruition and French media are now reporting that Saili could head home to New Zealand.
Rugbyrama.fr reported: “For several weeks, recruiters have been working on the arrival of Francis Saili but the last negotiations carried out this week have been unsuccessful. The Biarritz player, who will leave the club despite a current contract until June 2024, could suddenly return to New Zealand.”
Cardona, meanwhile, had conducted several training sessions this past season for Bordeaux and having now whistled his last Top 14 match at the age of 45, he will become a coach at the club to help them with officiating.
Recruiting a recently retired referee is becoming quite a French trend as Jerome Garces has worked with the France national team that won the recent 2022 Guinness Six Nations Grand Slam, Alexandre Ruiz is working for Top 14 finalists Montpellier while Romain Poite has been unveiled as a Toulon signing for the 2022/23 season.
Cardona told French media: “Christophe (Urios) wants me to bring him precision in the rulings. Bordeaux-Begles is a very high-level club which has ambitions. From July 1, I'll be UBB all the way!"
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Latest Comments
It certainly needs to be cherished. Despite Nick (and you) highlighting their usefulness for teams like Australia (and obviously those in France they find form with) I (mention it general in those articles) say that I fear the game is just not setup in Aus and NZ to appreciate nor maximise their strengths. The French game should continue to be the destination of the biggest and most gifted athletes but it might improve elsewhere too.
I just have an idea it needs a whole team focus to make work. I also have an idea what the opposite applies with players in general. I feel like French backs and halves can be very small and quick, were as here everyone is made to fit in a model physique. Louis was some 10 and 20 kg smaller that his opposition and we just do not have that time of player in our game anymore. I'm dying out for a fast wing to appear on the All Blacks radar.
But I, and my thoughts on body size in particular, could be part of the same indoctrination that goes on with player physiques by the establishment in my parts (country).
Go to commentsHis best years were 2018 and he wasn't good enough to win the World Cup in 2023! (Although he was voted as the best player in the world in 2023)
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