Toulon coach Bernard Laporte arrives prior to his hearing in front of the French Rugby Union federation disciplinary commission

Toulon coach Bernard Laporte has been banned from involvement with the team on matchdays for 13 weeks after an outburst against a match referee last month, ruling him out of involvement for their Heineken Cup quarter-final against Leinster.

Laporte labelled referee Laurent Cardona "incompetent" and "always hopeless" in a radio interview several days after his side's defeat to Grenoble in the Top 14 on January 4. Grenoble won 22-21 with a late interception try.

The former France coach appeared before the Ligue Nationale de Rugby's disciplinary commission and Toulon have now published the commission's verdict on their website.

It stated Laporte was to be suspended "from the pitch, the dressing-rooms (of the teams and the match officials) and the corridors accessing these areas during official matches (including before and after the games) for 13 consecutive weeks, up to and including May 13." Toulon were also fined €10,000.

Laporte stormed out of the stadium at the end of the game in question and club president Mourad Boudjellal even feared the coach would resign.

Those worries proved unfounded, but Laporte told Radio Monte Carlo on January 9: "On the game's last move, there was a strategic error, a referee error, it was not because of a foul by us. I cannot support (Cardona) refereeing us any more, he robs us every time.

"It was not that that decision was hopeless, he was hopeless all game. He is always hopeless. I cannot put up any more with this kind of incompetent (referee) coming and controlling my emotions."

He repeated the "incompetent" claim several days later after the Heineken Cup win over Cardiff, adding: "Cardona tries to make friends with me, but he can stick his text messages up his a***."

WALES' WILLIAMS TO MISS REST OF SIX NATIONS

Wales will have to find answers in midfield after Scott Williams (23) was seemingly ruled out for the remainder of the Six Nations.

The Scarlets centre faces surgery on a shoulder injury and could be out for up to three months. He was hurt tackling Brian O'Driscoll in Saturday's 26-3 loss to Ireland.

Jonathan Davies would be one possible replacement, but he is still working his way back to fitness after a serious injury of his own and is unlikely to be ready to face France on February 21.

Davies suffered a torn pectoral muscle during Wales' autumn Test series opener against South Africa three months ago and coach Warren Gatland said on Tuesday: "We are not too sure at the moment whether he will be available against France. He is still not 100pc.

"He played that game for the Scarlets last week and felt a little bit sore, so we are trying to assess him to get up to speed in terms of lifting weights and contact."

Irish Independent