STRASBOURG’S ANTHONY GONCALVES defended his rough treatment of Neymar, saying the Paris Saint-Germain forward must “not come and cry” after suffering a foot injury in their Coupe de France tie.
PSG face an anxious wait to learn the extent of Neymar’s problem, with the Brazil international having been sent to hospital after coming off in the second half of his team’s 2-0 win.
Neymar appeared to sustain the injury in a challenge from Goncalves when the Strasbourg midfielder tried to tackle the PSG star on three occasions before referee Johan Hamel awarded a free-kick.
Neymar, who was unhappy with Goncalves after the incident, then flicked the ball over his opponent’s head from the resultant free-kick before eventually succumbing to the injury and hobbling off.
The Brazilian had to be consoled after coming off and PSG head coach Thomas Tuchel admitted he was “worried” Neymar had suffered a similar injury to the fractured metatarsal and sprained ankle that ended his domestic season last February.
However, Goncalves was unapologetic when speaking following the match.
“When we are competitors, even if we play PSG, we always want to win, we are disappointed, but I want to remember the state of mind,” he told Eurosport.
“We did not come in as victims, we showed a good face and showed beautiful things.
“Neymar? That’s his style, he’s a great player but we’re not there to have fun with him, we respond with our weapons and we have colours to defend.
“We’re not here to joke. So he must not come and cry after.”
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There’s a long list of quality players absent too . It’s no pushover to make that team ! Well pleased for Carty
@Limón Madrugada: stupid selection – at the very least Munster, Leinster and Glasgow warriors would beat that team comfortably
@BMJF: okay, so a brief glance through the comments and you’ve made that point 3 times. (It’s a terrible point by the way). Any list compiling a ‘dream team’ of sorts is going to be beaten by a good team consisting of a well oiled set of players who train and play together week in week out.
Well deserved by Carty. Also great to see McCloskey get the nod in a tough position. He’s had a fantastic year
@Eddie Hekenui: hard to argue with anyone selected there. I’d have prob had tavuyara on but he was oddly nominated on the same wing as Ioane.
@Jim Demps: Yeah it’s pretty hard to split them. They’re stats are pretty identical too and they’ve both had a massive impact on the team. Ioane was very impressive early in the year while Tavuyara came on strong towards the end.
@Jim Demps: Tavuyara was excellent but even if put on the other wing Sibhale Maxwane had most tries and line breaks in the league. Hard to ignore him.
@Jim Demps: except that team wouldn’t beat the two finalists in PRO14 final!!!!
@BMJF: It’s not a team of the best players in the League. It’s the players who played best over the course of the full season.
@Eddie Hekenui: Glasgow , Leinster and Munster were the best sides of the season by a mile so the team should be stuffed with players from those sides
@Chris Mc: Name the players you would pick so
Only one Leinster player making that team?!
@Leo Erah: Only 1 glasgow player too.
@Leo Erah: What eligible Leinster players would you include?
@Leo Erah: Leinster have used 57 players on the way to the Pro14 final. With that much rotation it’s hard for individual players to get enough of a run to stand out for inclusion in this team.
@Darach Malone: how many have other teams used? Like is 57 a huge number compared to the others?
@Jim Demps: you know Munster have used a similar amount. Just say it instead of setting someone up
Haha classic Jim ‘setting traps’
@Jonny: yeah stupid when both Glasgow and Leinster would comfortably beat that selection
@BMJF: are u nine years old? It’s not the best players selection..its the best players who performed throughout the pro14. Can’t be naming Leinster and Glasgow players who only played half the games. Grow up
Jesus Christ the amount of comments saying Leinster or whoever would beat that team. Grow up will ye!! Leinster rotate a lot and hence why ye didn’t have as many nominees. The lads selected are deserved. Fair play to Jack and Colby, and all the Irish based players.
Leinster fans will still be mystified when Ross Byrne isnt on the plane to Japan
@Kazoochka: Ah
That will upset the Leonster boys
Roll on Jack to Japan
So either winner will have one person in the team??
@Bob Joe: What eligible Leinster/Glasgow players would you include?
@Bob Joe: It’s down to the nature of the Pro14. Leinster heavily rotate their team, so it’s hard for any one player to be outstanding. Fardy is one of the few players not subject to this and made the team, Lowe is another, and he was nominated. Similar story with Glasgow and their Scottish internationals.
I imagine if Leinster win the tournament but don’t get all the individual awards, they’ll be able to live with that.
Only one Leinster player and he’s not even from Leinster !
@A Person: Who would you pick ahead of the selections that’s eligible?
@Peter McCarthy: No problem with him being picked over Gray and Wyn Jones (who hasn’t even played for Ospreys at all), just pointing out there’s only one Leinster player there
@A Person: And water is wet. So what?
Does that make it not very good making this team ?? If a full PRO 14 team was picked it would have to include a lot of the finalists . What was the time restrictions set at ??
@Martin Quinn: Minimum 10 appearances to be considered. Rules out many international players, and with the amount of rotation we do at Leinster, it’s less likely players will get selected for a team like this.
Leinster would beat that team
@munsterman: comfortably!!
@BMJF: @munsterman. …… share accounts much? Sad
@RabidHorizon: stay off the weed lad
No Italians ? Thats surprising
@rugbyanbeer: oops my mistake
@rugbyanbeer: Not a mistake but perhaps undiplomatic as Monty Ioane representing Benetton (Treviso) is Australian.