France star Jonathan Danty has accused a player of a "premeditated" attack after he was hit with a flying headbutt by Perpignan's Mathieu Acebes.
The centre, who has been a regular for Fabien Galthie on the Test stage in recent years, will miss the entire Six Nations after picking up a knee injury in the same match between La Rochelle and Perpignan. Reports in France say the 30-year-old will be out for three months after rupturing his posterior cruciate ligament, ruling him out of France's title defence.
However, it was a different incident in the same game which has drawn the ire of Danty. While lying vulnerable on the ground during the first half of the feisty Top 14 clash, Perpignan captain Acebes hit the prone Danty with a headbutt, for which he was red carded.
Acebes later posted an apologetic response on social media, saying: “I play with passion. Unfortunately this weekend I lost control of my emotions. Jonathan Danty is a player I respect a lot and I strongly regret my move and I apologised immediately after the game. I will face the consequences of this unfortunate move. Judging me on my values and integrity in this single gesture is regrettable. I don’t want to give that bad image.”
However, those comments didn't sit right with Danty. In a since-deleted reply, he responded: “You do not regret your gesture and I do not excuse it. It was premeditated. Two minutes before you had warned me that you would take care of me, before headbutting me when I was talking on the ground with one of your team-mates. Your apologies are intended for the disciplinary committee. You do not regret your gesture and I do not excuse it.”
As well as his response on Instagram, Danty also posted a screenshot of Acebes' post with a Pinocchio emoji covering the Perpignan player's face. In the the story of Walt Disney's Pinocchio, the boy puppet's lies are revealed whenever his wooden nose grows.
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