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'I don't know if talks are still ongoing': The mystery surrounding France vs Scotland and whether Premiership players will be released
Nine days out from the suggested March 26 date for the rescheduling of the postponed France versus Scotland Guinness Six Nations match, Exeter boss Rob Baxter had revealed he is in the dark on whether the match is definitely going ahead and what the status is regarding the release of his Scottish internationals.
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Baxter currently has Stuart Hogg, Jonny Gray and Sam Skinner away on international duty this week with Scotland who are playing Italy this Saturday at Murrayfield in round five of the championship.
Scotland boss Gregor Townsend suggested last week in the lead-up to last Sunday’s Six Nations game with Ireland that the Scots were preparing for the potential of having three matches to play on consecutive weekends.
However, he added that the re-fixture with the French had not yet been confirmed and neither had the position concerning the released of their English and French-based players as the March 26 date falls outside the agreed Test match window governing player release.
It was last Friday when Townsend made those comments and Exeter boss Baxter was none the wiser five days later when asked what was the latest situation is regarding his Scotland contingent on a weekend when the Chiefs will be playing at Gloucester on the same night the Scots are potentially in Six Nations action at the Stade de France.
Rob Baxter with the latest on what happened to his Exeter midfielder at England training #SixNations #IREvENG
https://t.co/Y3O3SJxNZ3— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 17, 2021
“I haven’t, no. Nothing at all,” replied Baxter when quizzed if there had been any update on France versus Scotland, the February 28 round three game that was postponed due to a virus outbreak in the French camp.
“I don’t know if talks are still ongoing, whether there has been a ‘this is what needs to happen’. I can’t quite fill you in. I imagine that Premiership Rugby will have made its stance on it to the Six Nations and it’s probably now for the Six Nations to either accept or decline it.
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“That is what I imagine is what is happening. That is probably why we are still waiting to see what happens. Now I don’t know whether some of those decisions might be made depending on the rounds of games this week, whether that affects something or not.
“It could well be that there is still circumstances that will come out of this weekend that will change. I don’t know. I don’t want to make a comment on something I genuinely don’t know anything about.”
In the meantime, there has been speculation that second row Gray is nursing an injury with Scotland. “We have spoken to Johnny. He had a sore shoulder, he has had a scan on it. It hasn’t shown anything of concern,” explained Baxter.
“I know it’s bruised and it’s sore but there is not something there where they have seen an issue that needs fixing or needs resting. It’s just going to be Scotland’s decision on how sore he is over the course of the week.”
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As for Skinner, who was left out by Scotland last weekend and instead started for Exeter in their win over Harlequins, he hasn’t been released to his club this week following Scottish training. “The fact that he has not been released back to us would suggest that he is involved in the (Scotland) 23 and that is the assumption we are working with here. We haven’t received Sam back so that sends out its own message.”
The tournament that gave us last September's exciting Sale vs Harlequins final and all the subsequent fallout about alleged Sharks celebrations has been cancelled for 2021#PremCup
https://t.co/zp3M1HGj1a— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 17, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
29 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
29 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
29 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
29 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
29 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to comments