Scotland suffers injury scare in Top 14 drama
SATURDAY WRAP: Scotland scrumhalf Ben White handed coach Gregor Townsend an injury scare on Saturday before next weekend’s opening round in the Six Nations.
He came off in Toulon’s 25-23 French Top 14 win over La Rochelle with a shoulder injury.
White, 25, would be in line to start Scotland’s tournament opener against Wales next Saturday and was replaced just before the hour mark after scoring.
White’s effort helped Toulon to stay fourth in the Top 14 table, claiming just the four time champions’ second win in eight games across all competitions.
Visitors’ La Rochelle, without five players away training with France including new Les Bleus captain Gregory Alldritt, remain in eighth, a point below the play off spots halfway through the regular season.
Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle side surprisingly led 16-12 at the break as scrumhalf Teddy Iribaren scored a try, kicked a conversion and slotted three penalties with Toulon’s Melvyn Jaminet successful with four shots at goal.
White, who won the last of his 18 caps during the 2023 World Cup, claimed the lead for his side with half an hour to play but landed on the left shoulder he seemed to injure during the first half.
The former London Irish scrumhalf was then seen with an ice pack on the shoulder on the touchline after being replaced after 58 minutes.
La Rochelle, double Champions Cup winners, retook the lead with 13 minutes to go as referee Mathieu Raynal awarded a penalty try after a rolling maul near the Toulon line.
The one-point 23-22 lead lasted until the final minute as Jaminet, released from the France set-up for the game, slotted a match-winning penalty to take Toulon four points away from league leaders Racing 92.
#TOP14 – Le minot de la J13
Le sang froid de Melvyn Jaminet 🧊
Une pénalité décisive pour le @RCTofficiel en toute fin de match 👊 pic.twitter.com/N13O6IBEQh— TOP 14 Rugby (@top14rugby) January 28, 2024
Earlier, a late interception try by wing Stephane Ahmed helped Stade Francais edge a 30-26 victory at Bordeaux-Begles to move up to second in the table.
The Parisians go above Bordeaux-Begles, without six players as they train with France and are just three points behind table-toppers in local rivals Racing, who host Antoine Dupont’s Toulouse on Sunday.
“We knew that they were missing quite a few important players,” Stade Francais wing Kylan Hamdaoui told reporters.
“The goal was to constantly put them under pressure, which we succeeded in doing for the most part and it paid off.”
