Top 14
Laporte not fazed by disciplinary hearing
ESPN Staff
January 18, 2014
Laporte celebrates happier times at Toulon in the Heineken Cup © Getty Images
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Toulon boss Bernard Laporte is showing no signs of backing down from his comments about referee Laurent Cardona after welcoming the chance to explain himself in front of a disciplinary committee.

Laporte was reported to the LNR Disciplinary Committee by FFR and LNR presidents Pierre Camou and Paul Goze, following on from his colourful criticism of Cardona after Toulon's shock defeat to Grenoble. The former France boss is not relenting in his stance despite attempts from Cardona for reconciliation, saying the referee could take his text messages and 'shove them up his arse'.

The Toulon boss, who received a 60 day touchline ban in 2012 for similar comments about officials, is frustrated with inconsistency of refereeing decisions in France and has once again made his feelings clear. And despite the prospect of disciplinary action, Laporte seems happy to continue speaking his mind on the matter.

"I would be happy to meet members of the commission and talk with them," Laporte is reported to have said.

"I want to know, for example, why a player [Sebastien Chabal] who punches someone only gets a three-match suspension or is not even sanctioned, while another, [Toulon scrum-half] Sebastien Tillous-Borde, for example, gets four weeks for stepping on someone.

"If one has the right to punch, I will notify my players instead of telling them to be disciplined."

Last week Laporte made a few choice comments about the standard of refereeing in the league, saying: "There has to come a time when someone says 'stop'. The problem is that there is only me and Guy [Novès, Toulouse's manager] who speak out. The Top 14 is crap and everyone is bored stiff."

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