Toulon owner’s claim of Irish government role in Champions Cup cancellation rejected

An EPCR spokesperson confirmed that the Irish government did not make the decision to cancel the match

A view of the RDS after the match was cancelled

Toulon owner Bernard Lemaitre has threatened to boycott European competitions in future following the chaotic cancellation of the Top 14 side’s round-of-16 match against Leinster in Dublin.

And he alleged that the Irish Government may have had a hand in the decision to call off the game.

However, an EPCR spokesperson confirmed the Irish Government did not make the decision to cancel the match.

In a hastily organised telephone conference call, Lemaitre repeated his earlier stated “disgust” at the decision to call off Friday evening’s game. “I am not sure Toulon will re-engage in the European Cup,” he said. “I will discuss it with the League (League Nationale de Rugby). It is no longer a competition that motivates us.

“There’s a great feeling of disgust. We give so much of ourselves that, to be treated like that, especially as it’s the second time, it’s starting to be too much.

“We received drastic recommendations two days ago, we followed them to the letter. Until 1.30pm, five hours before kick-off, we were in a state of uncertainty. We are powerless, and I even learned after official discussions that it was the Irish government, through an intermediary, that banned the match.”

Asked to explain his claim further, he added: “I wonder: when did this intervention by the Irish Government take place? Before the EPCR decision? If so, we weren’t informed. And in that case, if it was a decision made prior to the EPCR decision, the EPCR is obliged to have the match played elsewhere.

“It’s extremely confusing, we’ll never know the exact truth, like against the Scarlets. And on top of that, we are made to look like the bad guys.

“Toulon is a club that has a reputation, especially in the European Cup. I find there is an unpleasant background, I have the impression that we are treated like Kleenex.

“And I also know that there is a history between the RCT and the EPCR.”

It was the second time Lemaitre had blasted the Champions Cup organisers in a matter of hours. Shortly after the decision was announced, he had said. “It’s disgusting. The player tested positive on Wednesday and was immediately isolated.

“The EPCR was informed straight away but let us go to Dublin for more than 24 hours and despite a total negative retest of the players last night [Thursday] at 8pm, they made this decision less than five hours before the match.”

Tournament organisers the EPCR had told Toulon the fixture could potentially be postponed until Sunday, but only if six front-row players it considered contact cases were stood down and replaced by squad members who had not been in contact with the affected individual.

Toulon described this request as “an obvious sporting impossibility” in an excoriating statement in which it expressed “amazement” at the decision.

“This is once again proof of the errors linked to the organisation of European competitions,” the club concluded, having outlined its timeline of events.

Meanwhile, Italian international legend Sergio Parisse, who was due to start for the Top 14 side in Dublin, tweeted out a call for solidarity from other French clubs playing in European competition this weekend.

“We will see if we will all be united or not …,” he wrote.

Lemaitre said he understood Parisse’s frustration, but did not expect French clubs in the Champions and Challenge Cups to pull out of their games.

“I understand Sergio’s message. All the players are furious. But Sergio’s request is unrealistic. I receive a lot of nice messages, both from the new president of the LNR, but also from club presidents.

“I don’t think I can take the initiative to ask them to boycott the European Cup. It is possible that the RCT does, however.”

The EPCR said it had little choice but to call off the match.

A statement on the tournament’s website said: “Following the cancellation of the Heineken Champions Cup, Round of 16 fixture between Leinster Rugby and RC Toulon due to health and safety concerns for players, club staff and match officials alike, the result of the match has been decided by a Match Result Resolution Committee.

“The committee, comprising members of the EPCR management team, with EPCR Board members, Andrea Rinaldo (FIR) and Robert Howat (SRU), as observers, considered the facts regarding the cancelled match today (Friday, April 2).

“Following medical advice that the match could not be played safely, RC Toulon were unable to select a matchday squad after it was deemed that the club had a number of high-risk close contacts with one of its non-travelling players who had tested positive for Covid-19.

“Therefore as RC Toulon could not fulfil the fixture, the committee decided under the terms of EPCR’s Covid-19 protocol that Leinster will progress to the Heineken Champions Cup quarter-finals on the weekend of 9/10/11 April.”