France coach Bernard Laporte has made a grovelling apology to the supporters he had labelled as "pieces of bourgeois s***" after they jeered fly-half Frederic Michalak when he went off in the 43-31 victory over Ireland on Saturday.
Laporte's outburst was heavily-criticised, especially by French rugby supremo Bernard Lapasset.
"I spoke before I thought. It wasn't really what I was thinking," Laporte told L'Equipe. "I apologise for that."
Laporte, who had originally said "All these bourgeois pieces of s***, I would have them thrown out of the stadium", added that he was sad "certain values" associated with rugby seemed to have disappeared.
"What really upset me, is that they were jeering the French team, in particular Fred (Michalak)....when we were leading Ireland 43-3," said Laporte, who has been one of the main critics of Michalak's.
"They say that rugby cultivates certain values, certain virtues, that it is different from other sports. Well then let us show that in our behaviour."
