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Video - Botia gets first red card ever in a European final
By Ian Cameron
Levani Botia has been sent off in the Heineken Champions Cup final, the first red card ever brandished in a European final.
The La Rochelle centre hit Toulouse fullback Maxime Medard head high with a shoulder, an offence which Luke Pearace initially adjudged to be a yellow card. However, after Pearce saw the hit on the big screen, he queried it with TMO Tom Foley and subsequently upgraded it to a red.
Pearce is taking charge of his first Heineken Champions Cup final, becoming the youngest referee to officiate at the showpiece match in the 26-year history of the tournament.
Pearce, who to date has refereed 30 Heineken Champions Cup matches, has compatriots, Wayne Barnes and Matthew Carley, as his assistants, while Foley appointmented as TMO in an all-English team of officials.
Toulouse’s four tournament wins in 1996, 2003, 2005 and 2010 set a benchmark that Leinster reached with their victories in 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2018. Now the French club can move ahead again with an historic fifth win on Saturday, but one note of caution - the last time they played a final at Twickenham in 2004, Toulouse lost out 27-20 to Wasps.
Ronan O’Gara, Head Coach of La Rochelle, made the first of his four appearances in finals as a player with Munster in the first Twickenham showpiece in 2000. Northampton Saints won 9-8 on that occasion and the Munster No 10 missed two late penalties to win the match. O’Gara was a runner-up again in Cardiff in 2002, but then triumphed against Biarritz Olympique and Toulouse in the 2006 and 2008 finals in the Welsh capital.
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Latest Comments
Very naughty boy!
Go to comments"Interestingly its you who now seem to be renouncing the UEFA style points system, because you don't like the outcome of reducing URC representation."
No, as I have clearly written and no need to be a "mind reader" this time, I don't like the outcome that half of the teams will be from Top14...
"What about 4 each + 4 to the best performing teams in last years competition not to have otherwise qualified?"
Because I don't think that having the possibility of a team finishing outside the quarter finals to qualify automatically will be a good idea. I'd rather have a team finishing 5th in their domestic league.
"Or what about a UEFA style system where places are allocated to leagues on the basis of their performance in previous years' competitions?"
You mean like the option I suggested like 3 times now? 😜 That will lead to have half of team from top14 and the end of the tournament.
"There's no point including Black Lion if they're just going to get whitewashed every year"
I genuinely disagree with that. I do think it's a decent team and are not doing too badly in the challenge cup.
"Maybe the best placed non-Israeli team and the Russian winners could play off every year for the spot?"
Based on the current geopolitics I won't bet on this happening anytime soon 😉
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