The French rugby team lost its third and final match of its tour of South America against Argentina on Saturday, a few hours after Oscar Jegou and Hugo Auradou were charged with aggravated rape.
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For a little less than two hours, rugby returned to the center of discussions within the French XV, for a match against Argentina, lost 33-25 in what was the final match of the Blues’ tour, Saturday July 13. But minds were inevitably elsewhere. Accused of sexual violence, French internationals Oscar Jegou and Hugo Auradou were charged with aggravated rape on Friday, barely 24 hours before the match, and after several days of shock and scandal.
By the Blues’ admission, the week was “complicated” evokes Emilien Gailleton. “Very complicated“, even for Captain Baptiste Serin, on the Canal+ microphone.”It’s hard to find the words because we’ve had a terrible week.“, explains the French scrum-half. His try, the second in two matches against the Pumas after the victory a week earlier, will remain an anecdote given the seriousness of the facts mentioned.
“For a test match preparation, it’s not the best but we shouldn’t make excuses.for his part, mentioned Gailleton in a press conference after the setback. The first and second day were complicated. Then we were able to train, it got us out. We got some fresh air, we managed to switch. It’s definitely complicated. I think we still have trouble realizing it because we were still in a match week where we’re trying to concentrate.“
“To concentrate, to ignore the context and the chaos around the field, that is in short the message that the coach Fabien Galthié tried to get across.”We had to deal with it, we had to do it together. We had to do it for the match, for the group, for the delegation. We put a lot of energy into this work, into this commitment, throughout the week.“
His players generally responded despite a final defeat, “It was inevitably a slightly more complicated week than the previous one, but we tried to cope as best we could, we tried to prepare for this match and put as much commitment into it as possible.assured Théo Attissogbé to Canal +, who will have had a unique first experience with the France group. It’s certain that it wasn’t the easiest preparation but I’m proud of the group, proud to have been able to play my first two matches with this team and proud to have been able to take part in this tour.“
While the players and staff will now be able to turn the sporting page of this 2023-2024 season, this Argentinian chapter is not quite over. A new hearing will take place after a period of ten days during which the lawyers of Hugo Auradou and Oscar Jegou, as well as that of the plaintiff, will try to gather evidence.