French international Antoine Hastoy endured a nightmare start on Sunday night, receiving a red card after a mere 34 seconds for a dangerous 'kung-fu' style kick.
Record-Breaking Dismissal Stuns Top 14
The La Rochelle fly-half's evening was cut catastrophically short during the away fixture against Pau at the Stade du Hameau. His dismissal, confirmed by referee Jeremy Rozier, is now officially the quickest ever red card in the history of France's elite Top 14 division.
The incident itself occurred even earlier, at the 19-second mark. Hastoy, a player with ten caps for France, jumped to collect a high ball but dangerously lifted his boot, which made direct contact with the face of Pau's chasing player, Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang.
O'Gara's Frustration and Disciplinary Fallout
The one-man advantage proved decisive. Pau capitalised fully, eventually running out 53-33 winners to cement their position near the summit of the league table. For back-to-back 2023 European champions La Rochelle, it was a dismal outing that leaves them languishing in 10th place after 11 matches.
La Rochelle's head coach, the legendary Ronan O'Gara, voiced his dismay post-match. While acknowledging the dangerous nature of the challenge, he argued for mitigation, suggesting Hastoy did not intend to injure his opponent and was caught off-guard. "I find it hard to believe that he intended to hurt the opponent," O'Gara stated. "I'm not an expert, but there were mitigating circumstances... I don't think the action was clear-cut enough to warrant a red card."
O'Gara's protests culminated in him also being shown a red card for his conduct on the touchline. Both Hastoy's kick and O'Gara's sending-off will now be reviewed at a disciplinary hearing, with the Munster icon facing a potential lengthy ban given his previous suspensions as a coach.
What Happens Next for La Rochelle?
The fallout from this chaotic match arrives at a critical juncture. The French domestic season now pauses as European competition resumes. La Rochelle must regroup quickly before hosting Leicester Tigers in the Investec Champions Cup this Saturday, a task made harder without their influential fly-half and potentially their head coach.
This remarkable 34-second sending-off will undoubtedly be a major talking point in rugby circles for weeks to come, highlighting the fine line between competitive aerial contest and reckless play.
