RACING METRO’S DIRE performance in Saturday’s 32-8 European Cup thrashing by Harlequins prompted the directors to announce, today, they had switched the mouthwatering Top 14 clash with European champions Toulon away from Stade de France to its own more modest stadium.
The club released a statement in which it lambasted the squad — one of the costliest assembled in the history of club rugby — as not being worthy of appearing at the national stadium. Jonathan Sexton joined the Parisian club during the summer, along with Dan Lydiate and Jamie Roberts. Mike Phillips signed on with the club last week.
“In light of the result against Harlequins on Saturday this has forced us to accept we are not a part of the great teams of the moment,” the statement read. “The Stade de France is reserved for such teams and we do not belong there.
Thus Racing-Metro has decided to cancel our match with Toulon which was due to be played there on December 29 and play it instead at Colombes, our historic ground, where we hope to rediscover our form.”
Aside from their public disapproval of the performance the club was also having great difficulty in selling tickets for the 80,000 capacity stadium despite a massive advertising campaign.
Their first match played at the Stade de France, the Parisian derby with Stade Francais, attracted only 32,000 spectators.
