Serge Simon and Bernard Laporte at the Palais des Congrès in Paris, in 2017. -

CHRISTOPHE SAIDI / SIPA

We will say, at the very least, that she could have done without it.

The French Rugby Federation quipped Thursday on Twitter wishing "an excellent international waffle day", a not at all veiled reference to the controversy around coronavirus contaminations within the France team.

Players of the XV of France were seen tasting waffles in Rome on February 5, the day before their first match of the Six Nations Tournament against Italy (50-10), in violation of the health protocol intended to protect them from the virus .

On this March 25th, we wish you all a great International Waffle Day 😋 #WaffleDay pic.twitter.com/wUMYmFRuuZ

- France Rugby (@FranceRugby) March 25, 2021

The exit of these players had been singled out while sixteen Covid-19 contaminations had ravaged the ranks of the XV of France between February 16 and 25 and caused the postponement of the France - Scotland match.

This day 3 meeting, initially scheduled for February 28, will take place on Friday (9 p.m.) at the Stade de France.

The Blues can still win the Tournament for the first time since 2010 if they register four tries and win this final meeting by 21 points.

The FFR's Twitter account accompanied its tweet with a photo of a waffle with a French flag and a “France Rugby” flag (the name of the account) and the Eiffel Tower in the background.

"Roll on the world #ProfilBas day"

The Ministry of Sports, contacted by AFP, was "not happy" with this tweet.

The communications manager of the Clermont club, Vincent Duvivier, also had little taste for this tweet.

“#ToutPourLaComm.

The clubs are laughing to death, suddenly we reinvent a duplicate as if there were not enough and the internationals will resume directly with a Champions Cup round of 16!

(April 2, 3 and 4).

Strongly the world day of #ProfilBas ”, he reacted on Twitter.

With the postponement of France - Scotland, the French internationals will miss the 20th day of the French championship scheduled for Saturday.

Of the sixteen contaminations that the FFR had reported were twelve players and four members of the management including coach Fabien Galthié.

The latter had been implicated for having come out of the health bubble to attend a match of his son on February 7.

Following an internal investigation, the XV of France was finally cleared by the Ministry of Sports.

Funny way of implementing the "belt and suspenders" instruction, anyway.

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  • Covid 19

  • Coronavirus

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  • XV of France

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