Nanterre (AFP)
Second Fijian line Leone Nakarawa, fired for returning from vacation two weeks later than planned, "misses" at Racing 92, admitted head coach Laurent Travers before the club's European Cup debut against Saracens .
"We miss him from the beginning because he is not there," said the director of rugby about the international Fijian (31 years, 61 selections), convened on November 22 for an interview prior to a possible sanction .
Back in the country for a two-week holiday after the World Cup in Japan, Nakarawa, who played all four matches of Fiji in the group stage, gave himself two weeks of extra freedom before returning to France at the beginning. week, pushing the club Hauts-de-Seine to initiate disciplinary proceedings against him.
"We miss Leone, but we miss him like François Trinh-Duc, who is injured, we miss him, like Bernard the Roux, who is injured, we miss him, etc. After, there are rules, whether in a game of society, a company or a team and what is important is that everyone respects these rules, "said Travers about this key player of the Sky and White, voted best player of the European Cup 2018 and co-best passer after contact (with Toulousain Sofiane Guitoune) at the 2019 edition.
According to Midi Olympique, Nakarawa returned to Fiji while waiting for his interview. "You know more than us," said Travers, questioned about this round trip. "When one is laid off, the person, whether in the sports world or the company, does not have access to the enclosure.From that moment, Leone, he is free to do this. I do not want to know if he's gone or not, I do not care. "
Without Nakarawa, the Racing 92 already plays its survival in the European Cup Sunday at the Arena against the Saracens 92, defending champions who beat him in the final of the 2016 edition.
© 2019 AFP