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England statement: Owen Farrell a 'false positive'

By Kim Ekin
Owen Farrell /Getty

England’s Owen Farrell is set to re-enter the training camp after a positive coronavirus test has been found to have been a ‘false positive’.

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Farrell was forced to watch the opening instalment of the Autumn Nations Series at Twickenham from isolation at the squad’s base in Surrey.

Under Government guidelines, the England captain had to quarantine for 10 days but Eddie Jones insisted discussions with Public Health England were ongoing after wing Jonny May suggested the case is a false-positive.

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Farrell’s withdrawal was announced only 90 minutes before kick-off and Jones refused to rule him out when the Wallabies arrive next weekend.

Now England have confirmed that test was inaccurate. An RFU statement reads: “Owen Farrell will re-join the England squad at Pennyhill Park later today [Sunday 7 November].

“Farrell returned a positive test result from a COVID PCR test (taken on Thursday morning) and immediately went into self-isolation.

“The sample was reviewed by the lab and determined as a false positive test on Saturday morning and subsequently accepted by NHS Test and Trace today. This process is fully in line with the advice given by UK Health Security Agency.

“His subsequent PCRs have also been negative and therefore he has been released from self-isolation.

“The England squad are preparing for their next Test match against Australia [Saturday 13 November, 5.30pm KO].”

Marcus Smith’s artful 29-minute cameo strengthened the case for him starting against the resurgent Wallabies and if Farrell’s case is confirmed as a false-positive, then he will undoubtedly start at inside centre.

But Manu Tuilagi and Slade formed a balanced and effective centre partnership and it is hard to see on what grounds either should make way for Farrell. Jones is loathe to drop Farrell, who is lucky to have escaped the recent cull of old-guard as George Ford has been in superior form, but the fireworks evident against Tonga must surely challenge the Australian’s loyalty to his skipper.

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– additional reporting by PA

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Trevor 2 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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B
Bull Shark 6 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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