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England outbreak latest: 'No further cases'

By PA
Press Assocation

England’s outbreak of Covid-19 has produced no further cases following the latest round of PCR testing, the Rugby Football Union has confirmed.

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Props Ellis Genge and Joe Marler are self-isolating after testing positive for the virus during the week and will miss Saturday’s Autumn Nations Series clash with Australia at Twickenham.

However, the remainder of the playing squad and backroom staff were given the green light to participate in the Cook Cup showdown.

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Scottish-born 21-year-old Bevan Rodd covers for the loss of Genge and Marler by making his debut at loosehead with Trevor Davison offering another option from the bench.

Genge will also miss the climax to the autumn against South Africa due to the requirement to isolate for 10 days, but Marler will be available.

England are targeting an unprecedented eighth successive victory over Australia and are odds-on favourites to protect Eddie Jones’ unblemished record against his compatriots.

Last night Ireland’s players have been given the all-clear to face New Zealand on Saturday after a “potential positive case” of coronavirus proved to be a false alarm.

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Andy Farrell’s entire squad and management team underwent additional PCR testing on Friday following the news that one player had returned a positive result.

The individual and an identified close contact were immediately isolated before further examinations were carried out.

He subsequently returned two negative tests and has been given permission by public health officials to face the All Blacks at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

Ireland will therefore stick with the 23-man squad announced by head coach Farrell on Thursday.

“The individual who produced a positive test has subsequently had two PCR tests at two separate labs, returning negative results on both,” read a statement from the Irish Rugby Football Union.

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“The player and the identified close contact have been cleared by public health and the tournament organisers to take their places in the matchday squad.”

England captain Owen Farrell – son of Ireland coach Andy – last week missed his country’s win over Tonga following a positive result which later turned out to be false.

Ireland had placed back-up players on standby for the visit of the Kiwis and were prepared to tweak their line-up if required.

Yet defence coach Simon Easterby said during his Friday afternoon press conference that there was no danger of the fixture being cancelled.

Confirmation the Irish would not be forced into personnel changes came around seven-and-a-half hours after news of the potential positive was first announced.

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Jon 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 10 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

41 Go to comments
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