'It's coming': Blues coach's stark Covid-19 warning for Super Rugby Pacific
Blues head coach Leon MacDonald has issued a blunt warning to his side, and Super Rugby Pacific as a whole, as the ever-present threat of Covid-19 continues to loom large.
The new, revamped version of Super Rugby is due to kick-off in just under a month’s time, but, for the third season running, the competition continues to feel the wrath of the global pandemic.
The league’s two new expansion sides, Moana Pasifika and the Fijian Drua, have already been impacted by the virus, with the Drua set to be based out of Australia in their debut campaign, with only one fixture scheduled to be played in Fiji.
Uncertainty over international travel has also led to Moana Pasifika establishing their home base at Auckland’s Mt Smart Stadium, rather than Samoa or Tonga, until 2028.
Likewise, travel restrictions between New Zealand and Australia forced the Super Rugby Pacific draw to be revised late last year, effectively resulting in a continuation of Super Rugby Aotearoa and Super Rugby AU in the first half of the campaign.
The 12 sides will then cross borders to square off against their foreign counterparts in the final six rounds of the regular season, as they did for Super Rugby Trans-Tasman, although how that unfolds is dependant on the border situation between New Zealand and Australia.
Considering Australia’s enormous surge in Covid cases due to the outbreak of the Omicron variant in recent weeks, it very much remains to be seen whether travel restrictions across the Tasman will be eased by the business end of the season.
The highly-transmissible nature of the Omicron variant also poses risks for teams competing in Super Rugby Pacific, as it has done for sides from other professional sporting competitions – such as the NRL and A-League – throughout Australia.
After having successfully navigated the past two Covid-impacted seasons, MacDonald is acutely aware of the potential damage the Omicron variant could cause the Blues, and Super Rugby Pacific in general, as he explained to media on Tuesday.
“We’re positively negative at the moment, but I don’t know how long that’s going to last in the environment, and we’re ready for that,” MacDonald said as he conceded that players of his own will inevitably be struck down by the virus at some stage this year.
“We’ve got lots of plans in place, and, again, two years on, we’re still talking about the same hiccups and road bumps are going to be ahead of us.
“We are [under strict protocols] because, once it gets into teams, it rips teams to pieces, really. We’re going to have a lot of guys at home this year, so we need to prepare for that.
“The depth of our squad is going to get tested. Individuals have got to take a lot of care to try and keep themselves healthy.”
MacDonald isn’t the only Super Rugby Pacific coach to have spoken out about the difficulty of competing in the midst of the fresh Covid outbreak.
Brumbies boss Dan McKellar last week called for “common sense” over virus protocols before adding that the team that best deals with the disruption caused by Covid will have the biggest chance of succeeding in Super Rugby Pacific.
That team may well be the Blues, who are not only blessed with depth and talent throughout their squad, but also have contingency plans in place to deal with the imminent outbreak of Covid within the competition.
“I think that’s the reality of the country, isn’t it? It’s coming, and it’s going to get a lot of us,” MacDonald said.
“We’ve just got to be ready for it as best we can, and being healthy helps, and taking all the precautions we can, but we’re expecting it to get into our team at some point, and we’ve got to make sure we deal with it as best we can.”
The Blues will open the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific campaign against cross-town rivals Moana Pasifika at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland on February 18.
Comments on RugbyPass
The value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
3 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
10 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
50 Go to commentsBar 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.
10 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.
50 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.
3 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
50 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
51 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
50 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.
50 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.
50 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.
50 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 comments