Troubled France ease past Uruguay
MATCH REPORT: France beat Uruguay 43-28 in Montevideo on Wednesday in the visitors’ first game since two of their players were arrested on suspicion of rape.
Flank Oscar Jegou and lock Hugo Auradou were detained in Buenos Aires on Monday having played in Les Bleus’ tour-opening win over Argentina in Mendoza on Saturday, where the supposed attack took place.
The alleged victim’s lawyer, Natacha Romano, told local Mendoza media her client had been “savagely beaten” during the attack, with visible injuries to her face, head, ribs and legs.
Jegou, 21, and Auradou, 20, risk a sentence ranging from six to 15 years for sexual assault, according to the Argentine penal code, however, this could go up to 20 years in the case of two aggressors.
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They are set to be transferred to the western city of Mendoza before they undergo questioning and forensic examination, as 26 members of the original 42-man squad headed to the Uruguayan capital for the midweek game.
Fullback Melvyn Jaminet was also missing from the match after being removed from the set-up for making racist comments on social media.
France coach Fabien Galthie named a hugely inexperienced side to face Los Teros, with 14 members of the 23-man side uncapped at international level.
Captain Baptiste Couilloud and replacement lock Posolo Tuilagi’s doubles were the key to Les Bleus’ victory.
Hooker German Kessler, centre Felipe Arcos Perez and replacement Guillermo Pujadas scored consolation efforts for the home side and they were awarded a late penalty try.
The scorers
For Uruguay
Tries: Kessler, Arcos Perez, Pujadas, penalty try
Cons: Etcheverry 3, penalty try does not require a conversion
For France
Tries: Couilloud 2, Tuilagi 2
Cons: Berdeu 2, Segonds 2
Pens: Berdeu 5
Teams
URUGUAY: 15 Baltazar Amaya, 14 Mateo Viñals, 13 Felipe Arcos Pérez, 12 Andrés Vilaseca (captain), 11 Bautista Basso, 10 Felipe Etcheverry, 9 Santiago Arata, 8 Manuel Diana, 7 Santiago Civetta, 6 Manuel Ardao, 5 Manuel Leindekar, 4 Felipe Aliaga, 3 Reinaldo Piussi, 2 Germán Kessler, 1 Mateo Sanguinetti.
Replacements: 16 Guillermo Pujadas, 17 Ignacio Péculo, 18 Diego Arbelo, 19 Ignacio Dotti, 20 Lucas Bianchi, 21 Carlos Deus, 22 Tomás Inciarte, 23 Ignacio Álvarez.
FRANCE: 15 Lucas Dubois, 14 Jules Favre, 13 Arthur Vincent, 12 Simele Darricarère, 11 Joris Jurand, 10 Léo Berdeu, 9 Baptiste Coulloud (captain), 8 Killian Tixeront, 7 Romain Briatte, 6 Ibrahim Diallo, 5 Florent Vanverberghe, 4 Pierre-Henri Azagoh, 3 Thomas Laclayat, 2 Teddy Baubigney, 1 Giorgi Beria.
Replacements: 16 Jannick Tarrit, 17 Sebatién Taofifenua, 18 Demba Bamba, 19 Posolo Tuilagi, 20 Yann Peysson, 21 Baptiste Jauneau, 22 Joris Segonds, 23 Nathanael Hulleu.
Referee: Angus Mabey (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Gonzalo de Achaval (Argentina); Tomás Bertazza (Argentina)
