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European finalists Racing plunged into Covid crisis - reports
Champions Cup finalists Racing 92 have been plunged into a health crisis as their Top 14 match this Saturday at La Rochelle has been postponed due to a reported outbreak of Covid in their ranks.
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With the Paris region on high alert again following a recent surge in the pandemic, Racing have now been caught up in the renewed spread, according to reports on Midi Olympique tha have since been verified by the Top 14 league.
That has resulted in their weekend league trip to La Rochelle falling by the wayside while the as-yet-unnamed players affected by the virus following tests conducted on Wednesday have been put into isolation to ensure they have recovered in time for the October 17 European final.
Having dramatically knocked out defending champions Saracens with a late sucker punch, Racing are set to take on Exeter in Bristol in 16 days’ time in what will be their third Champions Cup final in five seasons following respective defeats in 2016 and 2018 to Saracens and Leinster.
The Midi Olympique report read: “With the Ile de France region close to going on high alert, Racing 92 is in turn severely affected by the coronavirus epidemic. This weekend’s La Rochelle/Racing match will therefore be postponed.
? INFO MIDI OLYMPIQUE ? Le Racing 92 est à son tour durement touché par l'épidémie de Coronavirus. Le match contre La Rochelle est annulé.https://t.co/IGHnXyrfQu
— Midi Olympique (@midi_olympique) October 1, 2020
“According to our information, the Racing 92 club, a finalist in the European Cup, has just been seriously affected by the coronavirus epidemic. Suddenly, the match against La Rochelle, scheduled for Saturday, is postponed.
“Racing have nine cases of Covid and would therefore be unable to travel, the health protocol of the Ligue Nationale de Rugby prohibiting any team with more than three cases from playing an official match.
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“Very quickly, the LNR communicated the postponement of this match. The Champions Cup final will be played on October 17 in Bristol, against Exeter. The affected players will be put in isolation from today and will therefore be able to participate in this European meeting if Laurent Travers and his staff call on them.”
The LNR issued an official statement soon after: “Following several positive cases declared within the Racing 92 workforce, in application of the Covid-19 medical protocol, and after the opinion of the Covid-19 expertise commission, the third round Top 14 meeting of La Rochelle and Racing is officially postponed and will take place at a later date.”
This was awkward… and very amusing https://t.co/o8G66USHIc
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 30, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
Bar 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.
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.
35 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
35 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
35 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.
35 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.
35 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.
35 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 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.
35 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.
18 Go to comments