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James Roberts provides update on his health as Welsh derbies to proceed as planned
By Josh Raisey
Jamie Roberts has tweeted that he is “feeling fine” after it was revealed earlier this week he had tested positive for Covid-19 after linking up with the Dragons ahead of the restart for the Guinness 2019/20 season.
The veteran midfielder took to Twitter on Thursday to address his health issue, saying that he is delighted that there are no other cases in his team, meaning the resumption of the league will not be disrupted this weekend.
While Roberts will obviously be absent for the Dragons’ visit to the Ospreys this Sunday in one of two Welsh derbies (Scarlets take on Cardiff Blues on Saturday), the 94-cap Wales international queried how his confidential medical information was published.
This has been a topic of debate since the news was broken on Tuesday, as the names of players who have been affected by the virus have not previously been revealed in other competitions.
Roberts is curious as to how and why his name was shared shortly after Dragons had confirmed an unnamed payer had tested positive for Covid.
This weekend could have marked the three-cap British and Irish Lions player's return to Welsh regional rugby for the first time since leaving Cardiff Blues in 2013.
He teamed up with Dean Ryan’s side at the beginning of this month having enjoyed a brief 2020 spell in Super Rugby with the Stormers before that competition was brought to an early end.
Roberts' positive Covid test was followed by another round of testing for players and coaches in Wales and the WRU reported in a statement on Thursday that 288 Covid-19 tests were conducted this week, taking the total in Welsh rugby's testing programme to 1,665.
Roberts was not tested this week as he has reportedly been in isolation since last week. Upon returning to Wales from Cape Town, the qualified doctor had turned his attention away from rugby and had volunteered for the NHS during the early stages of the pandemic.
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Latest Comments
It is if he thinks he’s got hold of the ball and there is at least one other player between him and the ball carrier, which is why he has to reach around and over their heads. Not a deliberate action for me.
Go to commentsI understand, but England 30 years ago were a set piece focused kick heavy team not big on using backs.
Same as now.
South African sides from any period will have a big bunch of forwards smashing it up and a first five booting everything in their own half.
NZ until recently rarely if ever scrummed for penalties; the scrum is to attack from, broken play, not structured is what we’re after.
Same as now.
These are ways of playing very ingrained into the culture.
If you were in an English club team and were off to Fiji for a game against a club team you’d never heard of and had no footage of, how would you prepare?
For a forward dominated grind or would you assume they will throw the ball about because they are Fijian?
A Fiji way. An English way.
An Australian way depends on who you’ve scraped together that hasn’t been picked off by AFL or NRL, and that changes from generation to generation a lot of the time.
Actually, maybe that is their style. In fact, yes they have a style.
Nevermind. Fuggit I’ve typed it all out now.
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