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'All positive, we're going. That is what I have been informed'
Sale boss Alex Sanderson has revealed that the stipulated 48-hour French quarantine and PCR testing rule which has thrown some of this weekend’s European games into doubt has been lifted, clearing the way for the Sharks to take on Clermont at Stade Marcel Michelin this Sunday in the Heineken Champions Cup.
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Matches featuring Premiership teams in action in France have had a question mark hanging over them with Bath, who are due to play at La Rochelle on Saturday, issuing an ultimatum to tournament organisers EPCR on Wednesday that they won’t fulfil their fixture if the current French quarantine and testing rules were still in place.
English teams have feared their players testing positive while in France and being forced into an unplanned ten-day stay there, anxiety that ignited doubts that Anglo-French fixtures taking place in France over the next two weekends would go ahead as scheduled.
However, while Bath director Stuart Hooper and Exeter boss Rob Baxter outlined their concerns about a lack of clarity over Europe at their respective media briefings on Wednesday, Sale boss Sanderson alternatively claimed that his club was informed early that morning that the regulations would be changed and that the Sharks were cleared to travel for their round three match.
“All positive, we’re going,” enthused Sanderson about the January 16 away Champions Cup game for Sale. “That is what I have been informed. We are in constant communication but the message this morning was we are going and from my understanding, we don’t have to stay the 48 hours or PCR test which was the worry because people would probably get trapped over in France.
Rob Baxter has outlined his "common sense approach" to put an end to European chaos#HeinekenChampionsCup #ChallengeCup #Exeterhttps://t.co/y9wlXO0rYS
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 12, 2022
“The final hoop to jump through is the Schengen visas (for Sale’s South African contingent), which we are still waiting on but we are very confident they will come through and the game will go ahead… Usually, they take a few weeks to go through the consulate which is in London so you have to book that day off and travel to London and meet people and they have to meet South Africans who need them [the visas].
“Through this process, it has been pushed through in record time thanks to the EPCR and the French consulate we got to meet someone in Manchester on Monday who approved all the identification and sent it down to London to get reapproved and we presume it goes on from there to somebody else higher up the echelons of red tape. That is where we are at with that, we are still waiting for them back but we are confident we will get them back.”
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Asked to clarify how and when Sale exactly learned that the 48-hour French Governenmnt quarantine rule and the PCR testing requirement would no longer apply, Sanderson explained: “First thing this morning an email was sent through to our doctor via our manager and I have seen him again, I cornered the manager in the toilet and he said it [the change] is happening.
“I haven’t spoken to the EPCR directly so I might be talking about this not falsely but on the back of all the communication thus far that we have and we are very positive about hiring a chartered aeroplane and a hotel that it [the match] is going to happen. They might just need a quick seal of whatever to make it official but from all the communication we have had it is happening. We are flying Saturday, coming back Sunday.”
Elsewhere, Sale referenced there were aware of the story about an unnamed England rugby player being arrested last weekend and the speculation that it had since sparked. However, given that police had made an arrest and it was now a legal matter, media were told at the start of the Sanderson press briefing that they would not be taking any questions on the matter.
Comments on RugbyPass
Results probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
1 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
1 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
56 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to comments