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Champions Cup restart thrown into chaos by Leinster versus Toulon cancellation
This Friday’s Heineken Champions Cup restart has been thrown into chaos following the cancellation of the plum Leinster versus Toulon round of 16 tie that was due to have played in Dublin with a 5.30pm kickoff. Less than five hours before that start time, it was confirmed by EPCR on social media that the match was cancelled but no reason was initially given.
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It’s the second time this season that a Champions Cup game involving Toulon has been cancelled shortly before kickoff. Last December they arrived in Wales to face Scarlets but they never left Cardiff airport due to concerns about the safety bubble surrounding the match and they flew home.
With no chance of the Leinster versus Toulon game being staged at another time this Easter weekend, it has plunged the Champions Cup back into uncertainty as the winners of this match at the RDS were due to travel next weekend to the winners of this Saturday’s game between defending champions Exeter and Lyon.
An email from Leinster to media accreditated to attend the match stated: “Please note that today’s Heineken Champions Cup game against RC Toulon is off. On behalf of Leinster, I apologise for any inconvenience caused and I hope you all enjoy the rest of the weekend.”
A statement from EPCR was eventually issued around 90 minutes after it first emerged that the match was cancelled. It read: “Following a meeting by video conference of a matchday medical risk assessment committee comprising medical leads from the unions, league bodies and both clubs, with input from the public health authorities in Ireland, it has been decided to cancel the Heineken Champions Cup round of 16 match between Leinster and Toulon.
TEAM NEWS:
The PRO14 champions are keen on ensuring there is no repeat of last September's ambush by Saracens#HeinekenChampionsCup #LEIvTOUhttps://t.co/gz5lFhxcLy
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 1, 2021
“The committee, which received independent medical advice from Dr Brendan Payne (England) and Dr Daniel Koch (Switzerland), was informed that a Toulon player, who did not travel to Ireland, had tested positive for Covid-19 as part of the club’s routine testing.
“Although the Toulon players and staff who had travelled undertook an additional round of PCR testing in Dublin on Thursday which revealed no positive results, the committee concluded there were a number of high-risk contacts with the player who had tested positive and deemed the match unsafe to play with the participation of those identified contacts.
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“Having been notified of that position, Toulon informed EPCR that they could not select a matchday squad to safely fulfil the fixture. Having explored all possible alternative arrangements to facilitate the staging of the fixture, it was decided that the match could not be played safely given both the current public health guidelines in Ireland and EPCR’s covid-19 protocol.
“A match result resolution committee will be convened as soon as practicable to determine the outcome of the fixture.”
Leinster are wary of a repeat of another Saracens style ambush in Europe after winning the PRO14 for the fourth time in a row
– reports @heagneyl ???https://t.co/EzrVZbtuNB
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 28, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Good luck Aussie
10 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
37 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
10 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
37 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
37 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
37 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
37 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
37 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
37 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to comments