Today’s rugby news as French star banned for taking cocaine and Wales international faces surgery fear

French star banned for cocaine

Oscar Jegou, a French rugby player, was given a one-month ban from the sport after testing positive for cocaine during a drug test in August.

The La Rochelle back row has been suspended, the French anti-doping agency (AFLD) said on Tuesday night. The test was administered to Jegou, 20, following his team’s August Top 14 season opener.

The youngster, who represented France in the U20 World Cup, might have been suspended for four years, but the AFLD determined that the drug use was “recreational.” Two days before to the game, during a housewarming party, the alleged event occurred.

According to the L’Equipe article, once Jegou began a treatment and awareness program, the regulating board reduced the three-month sentence to a one-month one.

As stated by the players’ union’s general director Mathieu Giudicelli to Le Parisien, “He [Jegou] is very affected by the situation, he is well aware that he made a mistake, he knows it.”

Shortly after Rhys Webb, a former scrum-half for Wales, tested positive for growth hormone during a drug test, he was temporarily suspended from competition. Webb will not be permitted to play until the case is over, notwithstanding his denial of the charge.

Plumtree could face surgery

Taine Plumtree, a back rower for the Scarlets and Wales, may need surgery and a lengthy recovery period soon.

Since suffering a shoulder injury during Wales’ World Cup warm-up match against England in August, Plumtree has been dealing with the injury, and his region has now acknowledged that he will likely need the issue properly addressed moving forward.

Head coach Dwayne Peel stated, “He is touch and go this weekend due to some shoulder issues.”

“In the long run, I believe he will need shoulder surgery, though I’m not sure how much.

“We are waiting on specialist opinions and another scan this week, so we will have an update next week or see where we are at the end of this week.

“He has been good for us.

“He is a good athlete, there are areas of his game that need to be refined and he knows that.

“He is prepared to work, he is a good character within the group and been a good fit for us and Wales where you are going to have a player in a year or so who will be very competitive.”

Owen Farrell not going anywhere

By Duncan Bech, PA England Rugby Correspondent

Owen Farrell has returned from the World Cup with the hunger to prolong his career for as long as possible.

Farrell led England to a third-place finish in France following an agonising semi-final defeat by South Africa but, unlike a number of his international peer group, the 32-year-old has no intention of looking towards the finishing line.

Ben Youngs, Courtney Lawes and Jonny May played their final Tests at the World Cup, while Dan Cole, Joe Marler, Danny Care and Manu Tuilagi are also close to signing off at the highest level.

But Farrell has raised the possibility that he could still be present for Australia 2027 as England enter a period of rebuilding.

“I love what I do, I’m passionate about it and I don’t see that slowing down any time soon,” the Saracens captain said at the season launch of the Investec Champions Cup at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

“I’m unbelievably lucky to do something that I’m really passionate about and I want to play as long as it can if I’m still excited about what I am doing.

“The two go hand in hand because if you’re not excited then you won’t do what you want to do anyway, you won’t play for the teams that you want to play for and you won’t play to the standard that you want to.

“I wouldn’t sit down and set targets. But I also wouldn’t say they are not in the back of my head, quietly.

“I wouldn’t be one to say ‘I have written this down, this down and this down, this is what I want to achieve and this is what I am working for every day’. But they are there in the background.

“The exciting bit is what’s in front of us. Where you can take what you’ve been doing and how to get the best out of yourself. Hopefully there’s loads more of that.”

Peter O’Mahony steps down

Ireland stalwart Peter O’Mahony has relinquished the Munster captaincy after 10 years.

The flanker has announced he is stepping down from the role with immediate effect after first taking the armband ahead of the 2013/14 season.

O’Mahony said : “Captaining Munster has been a dream come true for me.

“I grew up watching and idolising the Munster team and in particular the people who were leading the team.

“People like Mick Galwey, Jim Williams, then on to the likes of ROG and Paul [O’Connell], who I had the privilege of playing with at the start of my career.

“I can remember the day I was asked to be captain like it was yesterday and discussing it with Paul to get his approval.

“From that day to this it’s been an utter privilege and has never been something I’ve taken for granted.

“However, having given a huge amount of thought to it, I think it is the right time to step back from the role to share my experiences and give the same guidance that I received when I took on the role.”

“You couldn’t pick a better leader than Pete, and he has been a fantastic captain for this club,” head coach Graham Rowntree stated.

“It says volumes about his skill as a player on the field and as a person off it that he led Munster for so long and at such a young age.

He is extremely respected and will continue to be a major leader in the organization. It is really helpful to have someone with Pete’s experience available to assist us with the succession planning process.”

Sonny Bill Williams slams Eddie Jones

All Blacks World Cup-winner Sonny Bill Williams has slammed former Australia coach Eddie Jones, labelling his Wallabies tenure as ‘comical’.

During Jones’ disastrous nine-month tenure as Australia’s head coach, the legendary rugby nation was eliminated in the pool stages for the first tournament ever.

There were rumors going around during the Rugby World Cup that Jones met in private with the Japanese Rugby Federation to discuss becoming their head coach.

Shortly before he resigned from his position, the former England head coach declared that he was “committed to Australian rugby,” emphatically refuting the allegations at the time. Jones has acknowledged that he is interested in take on the empty head coach role with the Brave Blossoms after quitting that role.

Williams, a two-time World Cup winner, described Jones’ tenure as “comical” in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, stating: “Obviously, he had that meeting.”

To be honest, that speaks a lot about his character. It’s hilarious. I’m still in shock about this. I was able to see through his pranks and pretense. This is a man who has a history of destroying relationships.

“You wouldn’t tolerate that if he were a player, what he’s done. That they are subject to accountability in the same manner as athletes is extremely pleasant.”