Racing 92 owner blames Siya Kolisi ‘putting on weight’ for Top 14 play-off loss

Jacky Lorenzetti, Racing 92’s owner, has launched an extraordinary broadside against two of his club’s star players after a loss to Bordeaux in the Top 14 play-offs on Sunday night.

After defeat at the Stade Chaban-Delmas ended Racing 92’s season at the quarter-final stage of the Top 14 ‘barrages’, Lorenzetti took aim at both Siya Kolisi, South Africa’s World Cup-winning captain, and Josua Tuisova, the Fijian powerhouse, in an interview with French rugby newspaper Midi Olympique.

The French billionaire, who has owned Racing 92 since 2006, said that neither of his two high-profile signings were as good as expected this season. Lorenzetti added that Kolisi had “put on weight” during the break in fixtures for the Champions Cup knockout stages and was “anonymous” in the loss at Bordeaux.

“[Siya] had a remarkable start to the season, where he was a unifying presence off the field,” said Lorenzetti, 76. “The break was harmful for him. He put on weight, lost form and yesterday he was anonymous. On the back row, we got used to having an ultra-present warrior, called Wenceslas Lauret. For now, Siya isn’t reminding me of him. But I think that will change next year.

“[Josua] has brought nothing – we must be clear. He was not the impact player that we expected.”

Lorenzetti went on to admit that the performance at Bordeaux on Sunday was “very disappointing” and that there were no “excuses”. “Racing 92 was widely dominated on Sunday night and I say ‘bravo’ to Bordeaux,” he added.

The loss marks an underwhelming end to Stuart Lancaster’s first season in charge of the French aristocrats, located on the outskirts of Paris, but Lorenzetti insisted that the Englishman’s job was not at risk, with another high-profile signing, Owen Farrell, to come next season.

“Owen was here on Friday for a medical,” said Lorenzetti. “He is hungry. But I am chilled about the future. We have some top players joining [Demba Bamba and Romain Taofifenua alongside Farrell] and Laurent Travers [president] and Stuart Lancaster have done a remarkable job on the day-to-day. Sooner or later, there will be smiles.”