What a difference a week makes – both for Mathieu and Godwin. It is said that sport and politics should never mix, but the parallels between the cases of Bastareuad and Godwin Grech have blurred that line.
Rugby followers were shocked last week at the news that Les Bleu centre, Mathieu Bastareuad, had been assaulted outside the team’s Hotel after spending the night on the piss with his team-mates.
French team manager, Jo Maso, evoked the confected outrage of Liberal Senator, Eric Abetz, as he prosecuted the case for Bastareuad in the press. 
“They (the attackers) abused him verbally and he responded to that, they then piled into him. There were four or five of them”
Kind of like the four or five Labor Senators that piled into Godwin every time he tried to answer a question at last week’s Senate hearing.
Bastareuad’s claim has now turned out to be as dodgy as a leaked Treasury email.
Bastareuad has come clean and owned up to the fact he was totally off his chops and “fell in my bedroom and scared my cheek on the table”. It must have been some piece of furniture as Bastareuad suffered a fractured cheek bone!
There has been some conjecture it may have been a team-mates fist, cleverly disguised as a coffee table, which did the damage – let’s hope Godwin has managed to stay clear of any Liberal Party coffee tables.
Despite a seemingly indefensible position, Bastareaud’s flamboyant millionaire boss at Stade Francais, Max Guazzini, did his best to stick up for the disgraced player by saying.
“It was simply jolly japes by a youngster, he has now gone on holiday to the French West Indies”
Perhaps the flamboyant millionaire boss of the Liberal Party, Malcolm Turnbull, should have taken his cue from Guazzini and used the “jolly japes” defence for Godwin, and then sent him on holidays to Norfolk Island?
Wellington Mayor, Kerry Prendergast, has obviously been watching this week’s performance of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, and was quick to claim the moral high ground in an attack that was more effective than K-Rudd’s.
“There was clearly collusion. There were other players involved, the team doctor was involved, the coach (was involved) because (Bastareaud) got sent back so quickly. This is wider than just one player and I think we need an apology”
Whether there be further fall-out in relation to Bastareuad’s plight is unclear, but he has shown that he is tailor made for a job in Treasury. I’m not so sure that Godwin could make it as a centre for Stade Francais however – but he was wearing a pink tie at the Senate hearing?
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="3876 https://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/?p=3876">7 Comments
Interesting paralell’s there Juan, do you reckon the Wellington major would accept an apology from Kevin Rudd, cause he’s already said “sorry”.
It also seems similar to that girl who got all those stars tattooed on her face. What’s with all the lies lately?
Who has the name Bastareuad anyway?
Reminds me of that italian goal keeper called buffon… or that lock called cockbain.
I agree on the point that more than a few people in the French Delegation knew that this story was made up. Look at how contrite the French were in not trying to castigate Kiwi fans and the city of Wellington. Turns out they were not trying to fan the flames of hate-they knew their guy was lying.
This adds another interesting chapter in the star-crossed history of France and New Zealand which has included sunken boats(the Rainbow Warrior), protests over French nuclear testing in the South Pacific, a couple of World Cup upsets, and now a false accusation of assault by en emerging star player for Les Bleus.
A twisted web, indeed.
.-= Nursedude´s last blog ..Happy Birthday, Duncaroo! =-.
And the police are staying mum (in public anyway) on what they saw on a street video camera apparently.
There is so much thuggery around the streets in Kiwiland after dark these days that I instantly believed him.
If he had been in a punch up he would be joining a long line of ABs and Kiwi S14 players who have got into bother after being on the booze, Cowan and Weepu come instantly to mind but there are others.
And I’d like to know who’s playing the role of Joe Hockey….positioning for a leadership challenge now that team management have been exposed? Damian Traille perhaps?
hey yah is like when Paul Martin did that thing with his shipping company….no? no Canadian political humour? anyone?
I guess I’ll just stick to the rugby…