Bernard Laporte and his right arm, Serge Simon, played the jaded on the strokes of 12:35, Saturday in Marcoussis, when their re-election was formalized.
Not even scared it seems.
Yet the wind of the ball did not pass far from their cauliflower ears.
51.47% of the vote.
Barely 200 votes ahead of a total of 9,000. Faced with a candidate, Florian Grill, "only his mother knows", there is nothing to be proud of.
And to read the immense disappointment on the face of the opponent at the announcement of the defeat of his list, we measured how much he believed in it after a long 18-month campaign started with only 20% of the voting intentions.
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In recent weeks, as the deadline draws closer, the indecision escalates, the battle has become terrible.
Rude.
Anything was allowed, the small murderous sentences answered the small murderous sentences, in a context even more leaded by the custody of Laporte and Simon.
Should we therefore believe the fine words of the victors?
From the top of the rostrum, Bernard Laporte praised “unity”, said he wanted to be the president of “all rugby”.
Serge Simon, he told Figaro want to initiate a "policy of outstretched hands".
Everything would therefore be forgotten for a great forgiveness.
It is unlikely in fact.
A few words, here and there, sow doubt.
"Everyone will agree that rugby really needs us to rally behind the president," said Simon, before surreptitiously pointing out the unhealthy turn of the campaign.
"There was a time of electoral passions, which is a comet tail of 2016 since many of the team opposite were members of the team before ..."
Time for revenge
Bernard Laporte is even clearer.
The hour of revenge has come.
He had warned, coming out of custody in the Altrad case, ten days ago, that he would not let anything go, accusing the president of the LNR (pro rugby), Paul Goze, of being behind his legal troubles.
And an objective ally of Florian Grill.
The new president of the FFR had the power to modify the statutes to allow that of the LNR to run for a third term.
It will be no.
Saturday, Laporte has repeatedly mentioned the future, the end of the balance of power, since there will be "a new president of the League in the spring".
Revenge is a dish that is eaten hot ...
“Solidarity and a calm dialogue must be put at the service of the search for coordinated solutions in the general interest of French rugby. "
NRL press release
He pushes his advantage to the maximum.
Confirms that there will be six tests for the XV of France this fall.
Make public the messages of friendship of certain leaders of the Top 14 (the Parisian Lombard, the Toulousain Lacroix…), adding "I am not at war against them".
Only against Paul Goze.
That he will not pardon.
The latter knows it.
He did the minimum, lip service congratulating Laporte on his re-election.
Preaching for an appeasement that will not intervene.
“Despite recent tensions, the LNR hopes that after this electoral period, a new page will open in relations between the two institutions to deal with the serious crisis that French rugby is going through.
Solidarity and a calm dialogue must be put at the service of the search for coordinated solutions in the general interest of French rugby.
"
Without real opposition
Bernard Laporte and his team have narrowly retained power.
They won't share it.
They have a second four-year term left to complete all their reforms.
Without real opposition since with 29 members out of 48 on the steering committee, they will once again have free rein.
With, as a leitmotif, to increasingly tap professional rugby for the benefit of amateur rugby.
And to finish in style with the 2023 World Cup.
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Serge Simon: "A policy of outstretched hands"
An event that Bernard Laporte and the faithful Claude Atcher had snatched from the nose and beard of Ireland and South Africa in 2017. They repeated it.
They want a strong XV of France - which necessarily induces Top 14 clubs asked to give it priority - to reverse the curve of licensees.
And to be the management team of the FFR which will have won the first planetary title in its history.
An ambition that will take precedence over all the others.
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FFR elections: Florian Grill questions the verdict
