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Cudmore would serve as the new forwards coach, working closely with attack coach Mike Prendergast and defence coach Vincent Krischer.

Things seemed to be going fine, but as the pre-season wore on and then the season started, Cudmore said he started to have concerns.

Buonnato would show up to practices late in the week and would interfere in the decisions Cudmore and his assistants were making. The big Canadian says there were issues with squad selection too.

“They registered a European squad (Oyonnax are playing in the second-tier Challenge Cup) without consulting us.”

Cudmore said he asked several times for clarity in their roles, even going to the club’s directors. He also said he came to doubt Buonnato’s credentials.

Finally, he’d had enough. Shortly after the start of the new year, he asked for a meeting. Either the directors had to step in and back up Cudmore, or he was out.

“They called it a coup,” he said. “It wasn’t that at all. We just wanted to work together.”

Cudmore said his coaches were fully in support of him and that even a veteran strength and conditioning coach spoke up in his support.

“When a coach who’s been there 17 years stands up and says ‘this is wrong,’ that says something.”

“This was about dishonesty, a lack of planning and zero experience at the highest level. A tough situation if there’s no collaborative communication,” he said.

Cudmore quit on the spot, walking away from his contract.

It was a trying season for Oyonnax, who’d managed just one win. Now he’s on the lookout for a new opportunity.