The Top 14 playoffs started this evening with Jonny Sexton and Racing Metro taking on Toulouse for a place in the semi-finals.

The big moment of the first half was Toulouse centre Florian Fritz being allowed back on the field despite stumbling off following a knee to the head from Racing second row Francois van der Merwe.

Even with the help of the Toulouse medical staff he was unable to stay on his feet. Fritz was temporarily replaced by Gael Fickou.

TV cameras then showed Toulouse coach Guy Noves in the dressing room speaking to his staff before the centre came back on the pitch. He was off for 17 minutes in total. He was replaced permanently at half time, again by Fickou.


There is something very wrong about his.