Zac Guildford kicked in

After an ugly episode where a few French club players were attacked with machetes, Zac Guildford is out for a while after having his face kicked in. Apparently he was getting that deliciously nutritious rugby staple otherwise known as a kebab when he was set upon and kicked in the face. His club is quick to say Guildford here is the victim and there is no connection to his previous drinking problem. If the attack indeed turns out to be unprovoked, I wonder what effect these episodes will have on foreign players thinking about moving to France to play rugby.

real shame for Zac. has been staying out of trouble (or booze) and his integration was going well since he arrived in Clermont so is very unlucky here. it's strange that it actually happened in downtown clermont (place gaillard) where most people know who they are and are true supporters... he was with Jonathan Davies when this happened . there is a trend though, for some reason rugby players are somehow targeted by wanabee thugs nowadays.

http://www.thescore.ie/zac-guildford-clermont-fight-1661359-Sep2014/

Seems like Clermont is quite a rough town!

I was going to quip that perhaps the thugs were aiming for Jiffy and missed, but then I realised it was the other Jonathan Davies.

Joking aside, it's alarming to hear of a second such incident in the space of a few weeks, and in proper rugby heartland. That said, take the identity of the victims out of the story and it boils down to "men attacked by drunken thugs in kebab shop", which probably happens all the time. Sadly, rugby players aren't protected from idiots by their status as elite sportsmen, and their physiques and comparative anonymity makes them a lure for a particular class of pond life.

After both these incidents I've been disappointed that Jamie Cudmore hasn't been on the scene

Terrible story. Presumably the thugs thought it was safe to come out now that Nathan Hines has moved to Sale.

I suspect this is another case of a group of drunken thugs grouping together to beat up an unarmed man.

It never fails to amaze me how tough people think they are when they ambush unsuspecting members of the public in greater numbers and kick them when they are on the floor.

Heroic.