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Champions Cup final going ahead after Racing get Covid all-clear

15 Oct 2020

(Photo by Franck Fife/AFP via Getty Images)

Any lingering doubt over Exeter’s Champions Cup final against Racing 92 has vanished after the French club returned no positive tests for coronavirus.

Nine Racing personnel were confirmed as having Covid-19 a fortnight ago, resulting in the postponement of their Top 14 clash with La Rochelle and all players and staff being placed into immediate home isolation as one of a number of emergency measures.

The Parisians relocated their training base to Corsica this week to prevent another outbreak and after undergoing testing on Tuesday, they have been given the all-clear to face Exeter at Ashton Gate on Saturday.

Dylan Hartley and Jamie Roberts set the scene ahead of this weekend’s Champions Cup final in RugbyPass Offload

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Dylan Hartley and Jamie Roberts set the scene ahead of this weekend’s Champions Cup final in RugbyPass Offload

“We have had formal confirmation that neither finalist club has returned a Covid-positive test and that there is no risk to the match, which goes ahead,” a statement by competition organisers EPCR read.

Exeter’s clean bill of health was announced on Wednesday while Bristol and Toulon – the Challenge Cup finalists – also escaped any positives to ensure their match goes ahead as scheduled on Friday night.

"Maro was ready to go. Good as gold, playing well in European, Premiership rugby, doing what he does now, and Eddie was saying, 'He's not ready yet'"
– @DylanHartley cautions the clamour for Exeter's Joe Simmonds to get an England call ???????? https://t.co/S24yaOrmrX
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 14, 2020

Racing fielded a weakened XV for Saturday’s home Top 14 defeat by Toulouse before departing for Corsica with their first-team squad – who were already isolated in a hotel bubble – the following day. After spending five nights on the Mediterranean island where coronavirus rates are lower than Paris, they fly direct to Bristol on Friday.

“It’s been good. The weather has been quite nice. It’s a nice hotel. It’s good for us to be away and to stick together as a team in the build-up to the final,” Racing’s Scotland fly-half Finn Russell said.

“Everyone is obviously very focused on the final and you can have a lot more interactions with each other, whether it’s small meetings or conversations about the final and training here. When you’re back in Paris you would be in and out of the training centre and your house.

“It’s been different. The start of this week has maybe not been 100 per cent but in the current climate, we can’t complain too much. We’re in a hotel, we’re in a bubble. We’re not leaving the hotel, apart from training. The boys in France love playing cards, so there are quite a few card games going on.

“There is a pool, physio and a few boys brought their PlayStations with us so we are keeping ourselves busy. If you want, there is stuff to keep you occupied. For me, it’s quite good to be in the hotel and chill out. If I want to watch Exeter, I can do that. If I want a coffee with someone, I can do that.”

'I had it in my head I wanted to coach because I was only 23 and thought I was going to be finishing up with injury'
– Ex-Munster scrum-half @mikeprendergas3 on the adversity that ignited his @ChampionsCup final journey with @racing92
???@heagneyl https://t.co/B8pSBnu0LP
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 11, 2020

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Lyrics that instantly remind me of the infamous Porter technique.

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I think he’s a beast of a prop. But once you get a reputation for having suss technique, you’re constantly going to be scrutinized.

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frandinand 19 minutes ago

'The success of Skelton, Hooper and Tupou should trigger a rethink on Australia’s overseas selection criteria'

I was born in Elgin Scotland Mz. And also played a lot of Rugby in Scotland before playing in France.From memory you live up on the Darling Downs. How cold did it get up there when we had the snow m

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Red and White Dynamight 27 minutes ago

Generation gap: Can we meaningfully compare players separated by half a century?

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GS 42 minutes ago

'The success of Skelton, Hooper and Tupou should trigger a rethink on Australia’s overseas selection criteria'

What were your thoughts on how the Lions’ backs performed?

I thought they were average - Freeman was very average, Jones was passable, but and this is a big problem for Ireland going forward - Lowe (34 next birthday) and Aki (36 next birthday) look like they're starting to feel the effects of time.

Aki made more mistakes than I have seen recently and was challenged aerobically in finishing games 2 and 3. Lowe looked powerful but other than a nice pass to set up Beirne for a try, was mistake ridden and seemed ponderous. Do have to wonder exactly how long they have at the top level - given not many people can survive at the international level in their mid 30’s - especially in a position like wing.

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JD Kiwi 44 minutes ago

'The success of Skelton, Hooper and Tupou should trigger a rethink on Australia’s overseas selection criteria'

Failed NZ model? Number one for most of the period since rankings were introduced and currently top two despite our secondary school system which oversees a catastrophic loss of teenaged boys. You seem to have a very high bar for success.

Having said that, I'd be in favour of Australia relaxing their selection policy as they have so many of their best players overseas.

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JD Kiwi 51 minutes ago

'The success of Skelton, Hooper and Tupou should trigger a rethink on Australia’s overseas selection criteria'

Nice piece Nick! Big Skelton lifting big Frosty Boy is quite a weapon.

Btw I wouldn't limit the testing of the Lions to the last two matches, I'd say it was the last three. That First Nation and Pasifika team gave them a good going over and showed Joe how it had to be done. I was expecting big roles for Uru and/or LSL in green and gold but it never happened.

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NH 1 hour ago

'The success of Skelton, Hooper and Tupou should trigger a rethink on Australia’s overseas selection criteria'

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GH 1 hour ago

Mick Cleary: 'These blokes have done the jersey proud, with their buy-in and with their relish.'

Once upon a time the Lions were a team made up of English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish rugby players. Now if I am even remotely accurate it’s a team of players from around the world, who might in fact not have made their own country’s side, and or players from the second and third tier nations moving to Europe for the bigger pay day (who could blame them?) . So for me the Lions tour has lost its lustre. Australia has never fared as well as NZ and SA with touring lions, but I feel they really stepped up, and are probably a wee bit unlucky not to have taken what is for me a closer series than the score board reflects. One could hardly image what a combined NZ , SA and Australian touring side would look like were it to head north and play a similar format. God forbid you even included Argentina into that mix. I’m even tempted to suggest a NZ PI side would be pretty formidable as well.

11 Go to comments

JW 1 hour ago

'The success of Skelton, Hooper and Tupou should trigger a rethink on Australia’s overseas selection criteria'

Australia has much more player depth than New Zealand, though I’m mainly using raw professional numbers to determine ‘depth’.

The just aren’t able to retain then because a) the union/game in the country isn’t as profitable, and b) because the team doesn’t quite have the same status.

Agree with your points, though would get you to note that it happened before the Dutch timber came to the land of growth. The previous years with Darry and Lord offered great promise first (not even on year with short locks after Whitelock and Retallick retired).

145 Go to comments

JW 1 hour ago

'The success of Skelton, Hooper and Tupou should trigger a rethink on Australia’s overseas selection criteria'

It was cool having the birds eye cam in this test. Does Porter just have a complex for big dudes and angling in is his coping method, or was that actually a normal picture? Hate to pick on the guy but I do know he’s one of the most penalized props, so I guess has the worst technique?

As you say Australia were dominating everything, I’m not sure Tupou helped the scrum but him and Will definitely helped with the psychological battle of a test, which is probably the most important thing.

And you’re right regarding selection, if its good enough for France, it’s good enough for Australia. Joe should simply select these players regardless of their club commitments, they can leave it to the clubs to rest the players adequately to replicate an off season when they return from international duty, during the club season.

145 Go to comments

GK 1 hour ago

Mick Cleary: 'These blokes have done the jersey proud, with their buy-in and with their relish.'

Farrell probably didn't mix things up enough and probably had a bias towards Irish players but, then again, the Lions won the series. As for the last test, it was much more important for the Wallabies to win - not just for their own sake, but for the future of International Rugby Union!🇳🇬

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KC 1 hour ago

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Couldn’t get a game for Racing and a poor Lions tour

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PM 2 hours ago

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