France centre calls scandal-hit rugby tour a ‘collective trauma’
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France's Antoine Frisch (left) fighting for the ball with Argentina's Joaquin Oviedo during the rugby Test match at the Malvinas Argentinas stadium.
PHOTO: AFP
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BUENOS AIRES – The French rugby team’s summer tour of Argentina and Uruguay, overshadowed by the off-the-field behaviour by three squad members, was a “collective trauma”, centre Antoine Frisch said on July 14.
The problems occurred after they beat Argentina 28-13 in the first Test in Mendoza on July 6.
The next day, 25-year-old fullback Melvyn Jaminet, who came on as a substitute in the game, was booted off the squad after publishing an Instagram story saying he wanted to attack Arabs.
Two days later, Argentine authorities announced they were investigating forwards Oscar Jegou, 21, and Hugo Auradou, 20, over an alleged sexual assault on a woman in Mendoza. They were formally charged on July 12 with aggravated rape. If found guilty, the players face between eight and 20 years in prison.
A 39-year-old woman had accused them of raping her multiple times and beating her in a Mendoza hotel room after the first Test. Jegou and Auradou deny the accusation, saying they had consensual sexual relations with the woman.
Coach Fabien Galthie had given the two forwards their France debuts as starters in the first Test.
“We had a meeting on Monday evening and Fabien Galthie and the staff explained the situation to us, all together, at the hotel,” said the 28-year-old Frisch, who made his France debut on the tour.
“I was frankly shocked. There are so many emotions: you’re worried, you’re stressed.
“It’s hard to find the words. It’s a collective trauma. I’ve never experienced anything like it. It was very difficult emotionally, psychologically and mentally. Preparing for a match like that was definitely complicated.”
He said France had counsellors ready to talk to the players.
Said Frisch: “Yes, we had our mental trainers who were available if we needed to talk. After that, everyone experiences it differently. There are some who prefer not to talk about it. There are some who need to express themselves.”
Galthie admitted on July 12: “The impact on the group is real. It’s a cataclysm, a trauma. Since Monday, we’ve obviously been taking the psychological aspect into account. Things have changed in that respect. It’s an area in which we’ve invested a lot this week.”
France beat Uruguay 43-28 on July 10 but then lost the second Test to Argentina 33-25 in Buenos Aires on July 13.
Said Frisch: “It certainly had a real impact on our preparation, that’s for sure. It wasn’t easy. We talked to each other, kept to ourselves and stuck together. There was the French football team match and we watched it together.
“As the week progressed, there was an international match to play. We were forced to switch to that.” AFP
