Share

Bastareaud: I'm a zombie

Paris - France international centre Mathieu Bastareaud broke down in tears on Sunday and said he has had enough of his poor form.

The tearful 26-year-old opened his heart in an interview following his side's humbling 30-6 defeat to Stade Francais that saw them knocked off top spot in the French league by their opponents.

"You have to know how face up to things. Since the beginning of the season I haven't been able to find my form," the bulky back, who has been capped 28 times by France, told Canal Plus.

"I'm a zombie. I think that now I've come to the end of the road. There comes a time when you have to say stop!"

The emotional Bastareaud, who started out as a flank before converting to a bulldozing centre, has been in and out of the side at both Toulon and the national team this season, although he has been either in the starting XV or on the bench 19 times overall for club and country since the current campaign began in the middle of August.

He was well off colour on Sunday but he was not alone in a Toulon side whose performance was described by backs coach Pierre Mignoni as "unacceptable".

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should the Proteas pick Faf du Plessis for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States in June?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Faf still has a lot to give ...
65% - 517 votes
No! It's time to move on ...
35% - 273 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE