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Exeter outbreak has now had game-cancelling consequences for the PRO14

By Online Editors
(Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

The fallout from the Covid outbreak at Gallagher Premiership champions Exeter has now affected the Guinness PRO14 as the December 27 Glasgow versus Edinburgh derby has been postponed. 

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Glasgow were beaten last Sunday in the Champions Cup at Exeter and the results of this week’s testing programme overseen by Premiership Rugby revealed 18 confirmed cases across two English clubs, a total made up of 16 players and two members of staff. 

Exeter declined to reveal how many of the positive tests have come from them but the outbreak resulted in a number of Glasgow players also returning positive tests and other in their squad have been put in self-isolation.

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That led to EPCR, the organisers of the Champions Cup, cancelling this weekend’s round two European fixtures between Exeter at Toulouse and Glasgow at home to Lyon, but the story hadn’t ended there, unfortunately. 

Ahead of the festive period resumption of the PRO14, league administrators have made an early call to postpone the planned all-Scottish derby at Scotstoun.

A PROP14 statement read: “The round nine Guinness PRO14 fixture between Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh has been postponed. The game was due to take place on Sunday, December 27, in Glasgow. However, following their European fixture with Exeter Chiefs, a small number of Glasgow Warriors players have returned positive cases of Covid-19 and others identified as close contacts are also isolating. 

“Having considered all available evidence, the PRO14 Rugby medical advisory group has deemed that this fixture cannot go ahead as scheduled. PRO14 Rugby will examine potential dates in early 2021 to reschedule the game.”

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The situation whereby PRO14 officials will seek to reschedule the Scottish derby game is in stark contrast, though, to what will happen with the cancelled European fixtures. Rather than find an alternative date, any match that is cancelled won’t be rescheduled and the result will be determined by an EPCR committee. 

  

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Bull Shark 3 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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