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The 2 messages taken by the Lions from England football's contact tracing debacle
Lions boss Warren Gatland has described the sight of two England football players being ruled out of their final pool match at Euro 2020 due to contact tracing as a sharp reminder of the virus precautions that need to be observed on their South African rugby tour which begins next Saturday with the pre-departure match against Japan in Edinburgh.
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Mason Mount and Ben Chilwell will miss Tuesday night’s football match at Wembley after they chatted to their Chelsea teammate, Scotland’s Billy Gilmour, in the tunnel following last Friday’s 0-0 draw in London. Gilmour tested positive since then for Covid-19 and while Mount and Chilwell have twice tested negative, the pair were still told they must also isolate for a ten-day period.
Gatland’s Lions had their first vaccination shots in London last month and they have been having their second shots while preparing for the tour on the Channel Island of Jersey. Despite that protection, the coach has explained there will definitely be no hugging players when the tour matches start.
“Absolutely, we are very, very aware,” said Gatland after naming his XV to face Japan this Saturday in Edinburgh. “The players have had a couple of campaigns in the autumn and the Six Nations, particularly the home nations were pretty good in terms of staying covid-free. Yeah, there are two messages there. We have got to make sure we really adhere to the protocols and the second one is to make sure there is no hugging.”
Despite the restrictions, Gatland remarked that it hasn’t diluted the typical atmosphere of a Lions tour amongst the squad. “It has come around pretty quickly in the end. It seemed to take forever in terms of getting the team announced but now the squad is together, it’s kind of strange at the moment because even though we are in a bubble it kind of seems like what you would normally do.
"That was our thoughts behind that…"
– It has been a busy Tuesday in Jersey for the Lions who have unveiled a starting XV to face Japan that doesn't contain a single England player#LionsRugby
https://t.co/mWexSrOKRH— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 22, 2021
“The only thing is that the boys on their days off are not having the opportunity to walk into town and go and have coffees and relax and that sort of thing. We are aware of some of the restrictions and we have got to plan accordingly for that and make sure we keep the boys entertained the best we possibly can in our bubble.
“But we’re incredibly excited. There is a hint of disappointment, a sadness I suppose, the fact we are not going to have fans and we won’t see the sea of red you associated Lions tours with and the atmosphere they create in the grounds. That is going to be the downside of it, so the rugby is hopefully going to do the talking.”
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It's an opening day starting XV made up of 6 Irish, 5 Welsh and 4 Scots… #LionsRugbyhttps://t.co/1W9yzL8201
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 22, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Not sure exactly what went wrong for him at Glasgow but it’s pretty clear he ain’t Franco’s cup of tea. Suspect he would have been better served heading out of Scotland around the same time as Finn, Hoggy and Jonny!
1 Go to commentsBulls disrespected the Northampton supporters and the competition. Decide quickly, fully in or out.
24 Go to commentsI wonder if Parling was ever on England’s radar as a coach? Obviously Borthwick is a great lineout coach, but I do worry he might be taking on too much as both head coach and forwards coach.
1 Go to commentsJason Jenkins has one cap. When Etzebeth was his age he had over 80 caps. Experience matters. He will never amount to what Etzebeth has because he hasn’t been developed as an international player.
1 Go to commentsSays much about the player picking this gig over the easier and bigger rewards offered to him in Japan. Also says a lot about the state sanctioned tax benefits the Irish Revenue offers pro rugby players, with their ten highest earning years subject to an additional 40% tax relief and paid as a lump sum, in cash, at retirement. Certainly helps Leinster line up the financial ducks in a row to fund marquee signings like this!!! No other union anywhere in world rugby benefits from this kind of lucrative financial sponsorship from their government…
5 Go to commentsTrue Jordie could earn a lot more in Japan. But by choosing Leinster he’ll be playing with 1 of the best clubs in the world and can win a champions cup and URC…..
6 Go to commentsThanks for that Marshy, noticed you didn't say who is gonna win it. We know who ain't gonna win it - your Crusaders outfit. They've gone from having arguably the best Super Rugby first five ever, to having a clutch of rookies. Hurricanes all the way!
1 Go to commentsGeez you really have to question the NRLs ability to produce players of quality. Its pathetic. Dont the 25mil in Aus produce enough quality womens players. Sad.
1 Go to commentsBulls fan here, and agree 100% with the conclusion (and little else) of this article. SA sides should absolutely f-off from the champs cup until we get fair scheduling, equal support for travel arrangements and home semis. You know, like all the european teams get.
24 Go to commentsI’m yet to see why Grace would be an ABs contender. He’s pedestrian and lacks the dominance required of a top flight 8.
11 Go to commentsGee my Highlanders were terrible. They have gone backwards since the start of the season. The trouble began when we left Millar behind to prep as the 10 against the Brumbies and he was disconnected from the team that came back from Aussie. We rested Patchell for that game and we blew an avalanche of ball in good attacking positions in the 1st half. Against the Rebels we seem to of gone into a pod system with forwards hanging off from the breakdown leaving Fakatava to secure our ball!
80 Go to commentsPot Kettle, the English and French teams have done it for years.
24 Go to commentsHas virtually played every minute of previous games. Back row of Li Lo Willie , Grace and Blackadder would be the 1. Crusaders issue is a very average 1st 5 who cannot run. Kicking in general play is also below par They need to put Yong Kemara in. He must have so.e talent for them to bring him down from Waikato. Hoehepa would struggle to play in so.e club sided
11 Go to commentsI hope this a good thing making all these changes!
3 Go to commentsThe Hurricanes are good, especially with a decent coach now. However, let’s be real, the Crusaders and Chiefs are clearly a good degree weaker without the players they’ve lost overseas now. The Canes lost one player. It’s also why the aussie teams ‘seem’ to be stronger.
9 Go to commentsOr you could develop your own players instead of constantly taking from the SH competition and weakening it in the process? With all the player and financial resources these unions have compared to SH countries you’d think they could manage that, or is weakening the SH comps and their national sides an added bonus? Probably.
3 Go to commentsNot so fast Aaron, we might need you in black yet lol. God knows he’d be a lot less nerve-racking than hot and (very) cold players like Perofeta. It’s really a shame Reuben Love isn’t playing 10, we’ve got enough 15 options.
4 Go to commentsAnd those from the NH still seem to be puzzled (and delighted) why NZ’s depth isn’t what it once was. Over 600 NZ players overseas, that’s insane. This sort of deal is why Super Rugby coaches have admitted they struggle now to find enough quality to fill out their squads.
6 Go to commentsArticle intéressant ! La question devrait régulièrement se poser pour les jeunes français originaires de Nouvelle-Calédonie, Wallis-et-Futuna et de Polynésie entre la Nouvelle-Zélande et la Métropole… Difficile pour la fédération française de rugby de se positionner : soit le choix est fait de dénicher les jeunes talents et de les faire venir très tôt en Métropole, au risque de les déraciner, soit on prend le risque de se les faire “piller” par les All Blacks qui, telle une araignée, essaye de récupérer tous les talents des îles du Pacifique… À la France de se défendre en développant l’aura du XV de France et des clubs français dans ses collectivités d’Outre-mer !
3 Go to commentsWrong bay. He needs to come to the REAL BAY which is Bay Of Plenty and have a crack at making the Chiefs.
3 Go to comments