The French player who suffered a double skull fracture in last weekend's clash with the All Blacks has criticised the referee and accused Ofa Tuungafasi of consciously making a dangerous tackle on him.
Remy Grosso told French sports newspaper Midi Olympique that he was torn between risking a controversy and speaking out about the incident in which both Sam Cane and Tuungafasi made hard contact with the winger in a double tackle.
Some observers deemed Cane's tackle comparable to the one that had French player Paul Garillagues sin-binned for a tackle on Ryan Crotty a little earlier in the game. Neither he nor Tuungafasi, whose shoulder made contact with Gross's head, were cited although World Rugby this week issued Tuungafasi a belated warning.
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"If we do the same thing, we French get punished," Grosso told the Midi Olympique. He said he was unable to understand why both his tacklers had escaped all sanctions. "If the referee whistles foul, Cane must at least take a yellow, and their flank a red."