'Very weak positive' could gift Lions isolated players within hours
The British and Irish Lions are hoping that some of the players forced to self-isolate will be able to rejoin the squad today as the future of their tour to South Africa hangs in the balance.
Warren Gatland has revealed that one of the two coronavirus cases confirmed by yesterday’s round of PCR testing is a “very weak positive” and that another test could produce a negative.
If that is the case, then a number of the nine players and four members of staff currently self-isolating at the team hotel in Johannesburg will be given the all-clear to rejoin the touring party.
Alternative opponents for Saturday’s match at Loftus Versfeld after the Bulls were forced to withdraw because of an outbreak of coronavirus have yet to be found, but it is not yet known if the Lions have the playing resources to fulfil a fixture anyway.
Wales wing Josh Adams has started three successive matches while the enforced eight changes to the 23 made for Wednesday’s 54-7 victory over the Sharks have torn up selection plans for the fourth fixture of the tour.
“My understanding is that one of the positives is a very weak positive and if he is retested and it’s negative then his close contacts should be okay,” Gatland said.
“Then I’ll need a report back from the medical team about how the players are after the Sharks game.
“Someone like Josh Adams has fronted up three games in a row, so he’s a player we probably need to rest.
“I have to take my hat off to these players, they’ve really dug deep for the whole squad. It just shows to me what it means to play for the Lions.”
A chaotic day ended with the Sharks being routed, but it was only confirmed one hour and 45 minutes that the match could go ahead.
Navidi waited 51 days after the Lions were originally chosen in early May to get a tour call-up and he made his debut on Wednesday night #LionsRugby #CastleLionsSeries #LionsSA2021
https://t.co/uamRQx7EqS— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 8, 2021
The Lions spent eight hours of Wednesday in their rooms until those able to leave and play were scrambled by bus to Emirates Airline Park where even the disjointed build-up could not prevent them from amassing eight tries in another easy win.
“We ended up getting tested twice. We were waiting for results, guys not sure if the game was going ahead, if they were positive, close contacts – so many different variables,” captain Iain Henderson said.
“You’re sitting on the edge of your bed waiting to go. We were told to prepare as if the game was going ahead and I think as easy as that is to say, it’s not easy to do.
“So the bus was due to leave at 6.10pm but at 6pm the guys still weren’t 100 per cent sure. They were in their red polos and shorts sitting in their rooms waiting to get the all-clear so they could go and play.
“It’s obviously mightily frustrating for the close contacts – the guys who managed to get released from their hotel rooms are probably the lucky ones.
“The ones left at the hotel, I’m sure they’re devastated. I’m sure they were excited about playing or even being involved in the next game, which is up in the air.
“It’s the nature of the beast. We’ve been dealing with it for the last 18 months or whatever. Games have been called off for club and country and by this stage players are getting used to the topsy-turvy nature.”
Comments on RugbyPass
To 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.
30 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.
2 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
30 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 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
30 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.
30 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. 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.
30 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.
30 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.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
30 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to commentsI think he is right, SBW is respected in RSA. The guy who never stood up is a worm. Sseems lots of NZ SBW hate, you do the crime do the time.
17 Go to comments