MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) — A French XV beat Uruguay 43-28 on Wednesday in between France’s two tests against Argentina on its troubled South American tour.
Captain Baptiste Couilloud and Posolo Tuilagi each scored two tries as the French development lineup dominated much of the first hour and held a 23-7 lead by halftime in Uruguay.
The Uruguayans rallied late and finished with four tries, including a late penalty try.
A France lineup featuring eight players on debut beat Argentina 28-13 last weekend at Mendoza and will face the Pumas again on Saturday at Velez.
The French took a squad of 42 on tour but have endured a week of controversies.
On Sunday, fullback Melvyn Jaminet was suspended from the national team after a video surfaced of the player making a racist remark. He later apologized.
In a statement posted on X, the French rugby federation (FFR) condemned the comments as “unacceptable and contrary to the fundamental values of our sport.”
Then two France players, Oscar Jegou and Hugo Auradou, were arrested in Buenos Aires on Monday on a request from prosecutors in Mendoza over sexual assault allegations.
The two players have not yet been formally charged with any crime and were to be transferred to Mendoza to continue with the investigation. Local authorities declined to provide details about the alleged sexual assault.
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