Season potentially over for ex-ABs prop Faumuina after Top 14 ban

Ex-All Blacks prop Charlie Faumuina is poised to miss the remainder of the 2021/22 season in France unless defending champions Toulouse reach the final of this year’s Top 14. The prop was red-carded on May 21 for a shoulder charge in his team’s away win at Brive and he has now received a three-game ban. 

With just one regular-season match remaining before the playoffs, at home to relegated Biarritz this Sunday, the only way for Faumuina to feature again for Toulouse this season would be if they go on and win matches in the playoff barrage and the semi-final. 

Toulouse are currently in the sixth and last spot to make the playoffs and must win this weekend or fear being overtaken by one of the teams immediately below them, Toulon or Lyon.  

A Ligue Nationale de Rugby statement following the disciplinary hearing for Faumuina read: “Charlie Faumuina was found responsible for charging. The average degree of the scale of gravity was retained, that is to say a suspension of six weeks.

“After taking into account the mitigating circumstances (clean disciplinary record, recognition of the guilt, conduct before and during the hearing and expression of remorse), the penalty was reduced by three weeks.

“Consequently, Charlie Faumuina is suspended for three weeks. The date of requalification of will be communicated later, taking into account the end of the 2021/2022 season at Stade Toulousain and, where applicable, the calendar 2022/2023 matches played by his club.”

It was 2017 when Faumuina, a 2015 World Cup winner, won the last of his 50 Test caps before heading to play his club rugby in France at Toulouse where he is now at the end of his fifth season. He has played 20 matches for them this season, 13 as the tighthead starter.