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EPCR dismisses COVID postponement possibilities
European rugby’s governing body EPCR have firmly shut the door on the suggestion that some of this weekend’s games could be rearranged to help clubs hit by South Africa’s COVID-19 outbreak.
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Since Munster, Scarlets and Cardiff were last week stranded in Cape Town, there has been much speculation regarding the possibility of postponing their round one fixtures in the Heineken Champions Cup and European Challenge Cup.
However, EPCR has issued a statement in which it acknowledges that player welfare must be the first priority before going on to eliminate any thought of rearranging games.
“We thank the rugby community for their comments in relation to the COVID quarantine situation for certain clubs,” their statement read.
“Player welfare is paramount to EPCR, the teams and the players and as such we have worked to enable the best possible solution.
“If the clubs feel they are unable to field a team that can safely partake in professional rugby at the required level they are able to forfeit the game.
“We fully appreciate that this is not a route many will want to take however following an extensive review with all parties, postponement of the matches is unfortunately not a viable option due to the extremely busy rugby calendar.”
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We thank the rugby community for their comments in relation to the COVID quarantine situation for certain clubs. Player welfare is paramount to EPCR, the teams & the players & as such we have worked to enable the best possible solution.
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— Investec Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) December 6, 2021
All three teams will be without significant numbers of senior players after the European Union and British government responded to the emergence of the Omicron variant by reintroducing travel restrictions.
Both Munster and Cardiff have players still in Cape Town after contracting the virus, while the remainder of their travelling parties including coaches and support staff plus the entire Scarlets squad and management are currently isolating.
EPCR extended the deadline for registering an unlimited number of additional players until midday on Wednesday and Munster have stated their intention to fulfill their fixture with Wasps by using the Ireland internationals who were rested for the South African trip plus academy players.
In addition, those staff and players cleared from quarantine at midnight on Saturday may be added to the bench at late notice.
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However, both Welsh regions have scarcer resources so it is no surprise that several reports have suggested that Scarlets looked to have their second-tier game against Bristol postponed.
Meanwhile Cardiff, who only returned from South Africa on Saturday, appear to face the toughest task of the three when they face defending champions Toulouse live on Channel Four on Saturday.
The result of any conceded games will be 28-0 should any of the teams decide it cannot field a team.
1?? 2?? live games this weekend include free-to-air ?#HeinekenChampionsCup ?https://t.co/5piiyr9Oot
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) December 6, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Don’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 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.
33 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
33 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
33 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.
33 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. 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.
33 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.
33 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.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
33 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
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