FRANCE LOCK YOANN Maestri will face a disciplinary hearing after Six Nations Rugby commenced a misconduct complaint against him regarding comments made to the media about referee Wayne Barnes.

Maestri and Sam Warburton speak to Barnes last weekend. Source: Ryan Byrne/INPHO

France’s victory over Wales in the Six Nations last weekend came in controversial circumstances, with les Bleus’ back row Damien Chouly barging over for the winning try in the 100th minute of play.

The score came after an interminable series of scrums close to the Welsh tryline in a bizarre passage of play that also included claims of a bite on Wales wing George North, and the suspicious replacement of France tighthead Uini Atonio for a Head Injury Assessment.

Six Nations Rugby continue to investigate the replacement of Atonio with Rabah Slimani – a superior scrummager who had already been taken off for Atonio earlier in the game.

However, Six Nations organisers have also confirmed that Maestri will be brought before a disciplinary hearing following his comments about referee Barnes after the game.

Speaking to French website Rugbyrama after his side’s 20-18 win, Maestri said he felt “a little disgust at having been refereed this way until the end [of the game].”

Maestri’s frustration centered around the fact that France were not awarded a penalty try in that madcap extra 20 minutes, when the vice-captain believed his side were the dominant force.

“The Anglo-Saxon referees constantly talk about fair play,” said Maestri. “They see us, the French, as cheats but it would be better to concentrate on this Anglo-Saxon composure, which sometimes lacks of bit of candour.”