FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

Sports

French Rugby Club Owner Blames Dan Carter's Recent Troubles On "Learning How To Party"

Maybe it's just the case of a Kiwi country boy heading to Paris and opening his eyes right the way up.
Youtube

A month after being stopped and found twice over the drink driving limit in Paris, the plight of former All Blacks star Dan Carter's shaky Pro 12 season is being put down to "learning how to party" by his club boss.

Jacky Lorenzetti, the flamboyant owner of Racing Metro 92, expressed those sentiments to French publication The Parisian this week, adding that he thought Carter was distracted by "too many public relations operations" too.

Advertisement

"Finally it was discovered that he knew how to party," Lorenzetti said.

ALL BLACK BOOZED: DAN CARTER CAUGHT DRINK DRIVING IN PARIS (UPDATED)

"We will try to refocus him on rugby. The guy is responsible and big enough, I think he's going to do it on his own, we do not need to talk to him about it. He understands."

Lorenzetti has been a busy man of late. He sacked Carter's former All Blacks team mate Ali Williams from Racing Metro 92 after 'Comical Ali' was arrested for buying cocaine outside a Paris nightclub, before recently announced plans to merge his club with Stade Francais; the only other major rugby team in the French capital.

Yet it seems getting DC - a regular sighting amongst Paris' social upper circles these days - back on track seems to be the priority. Especially as Racing Metro 92's season has careened out of control over recent weeks.

A NZ rugby television show breaks down the recent Ali Williams and Dan Carter scandals. Source: Youtube.

A loss last week to La Rochelle left them six points off the playoffs with only six games to go, while they've also been booted from Champions Cup knockouts. They won the elite European 'rugby champions league' last year.

Carter - halfway through a three-year NZ$3 million contract - was booed off in the game against La Rochelle, with fans expressing their disappointing in his drink driving incident.

Lorenzetti is confident that he can get the former ABs star - who escaped punishment after involvement in a misdiagnosed drug scandal last year - pivot firing again.

COKED OUT IN PARIS: EX RUGBY STARS ALI WILLIAMS & JAMES O'CONNOR ARRESTED AFTER DRUGS BUST

"Dan came in certain conditions, promising a lot. He gave a lot last year and it's normal that the fans expect a lot from him," he says.

As for the partying? Maybe, after all the column inches and TV reports, it was just the case of a Kiwi country boy heading to Paris and opening his eyes right up. Maybe.