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Thursday

12:00

'I just don't feel we are in a position to moan or whinge about not going out for a coffee'

Liam Heagney

07 Oct 2020

(Photo by Getty Images)

Jonny May has no qualms about adjusting to life in a Covid world with England. Eddie Jones’ set-up had far fewer restrictions when the winger was last involved back in March before the conclusion to the Six Nations was delayed.

England will now get the opportunity to see out that tournament at the end of October before participating in the new Autumn Nations Cup.

First, though, a preliminary squad of 27 has assembled at their new Lensbury base and protecting the integrity of the bubble now in operation around the squad is of utmost importance to ensure England don’t suffer a Sale-like situation where 27 positive tests put an end to their Gallagher Premiership title challenge.

Here’s the debut episode of RugbyPod Offload, the new podcast featuring Dylan Hartley, Jamie Roberts, Simon Zebo and Ryan Wilson

“Everybody in every industry has had to adapt and make sacrifices, hit the line in terms of the standards that are expected of everybody, but going from a block where rugby was taken away or people’s jobs were taken away and you’re not sure you are going to get the chance to do what you want to do again, you just get on with it.

“It just seems like the new normal. If we have to wear a mask, we do it, if we have to wipe down our dumbbells, we crack on with it. All the forms and temperature checks and tests and things, that’s just the way it is and you do it at the snap of a finger because you want to do your job and you want to play rugby. It’s what it is but everyone just wants to crack on with it.

Another man down… https://t.co/34SKqVoCOM
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 6, 2020

“I just don’t feel we are in a position to moan or whinge about not going out for a coffee or not being able to do whatever we want to do. Across the world, people are having to adapt and crack on. We have got the opportunity to do what we love and play rugby and do our jobs.

“We’re healthy and we are getting paid, we can still live our lives – we are very, very lucky to be doing what we are doing and we are aware of that. Although there are sacrifices and lines hit in terms of standards, we’re probably not going to be able to go home for four weeks in the 8 Nations… but you do it at the drop of a hat because we are getting to do what we love and we are very lucky.

“There is greater responsibility more so than ever to make sure that we do everything we possibly can not to cause any issues… listen if something bad was to happen and of course it could that would be a real shame but we will make sure we do everything we possibly can to make sure we don’t have any slip-ups.”

Addressing the Sale situation which has dominated the English rugby headlines since the outbreak emerged last Friday, Gloucester winger May added: “That highlights the fact that it is very contagious. Personally, I’m not worried about getting seriously ill. I’d be more worried about passing it on to somebody who could get seriously ill.

“You certainly want to try and stop it from getting into your team’s bubble because it’s probably going to spread quite quickly if it does. Probably lessons to be learned. It probably needs to be a bit tighter, but do you know what, it could be anything, it can get in any way, you could just be unlucky. You’d feel for Sale, their game not going ahead. That’s just a bit disappointing for them.”