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Premiership Rugby announce points decisions for Christmas games cancelled due to COVID
By Online Editors
Newcastle Falcons and Bath have been awarded four points, while Leicester and London Irish pick up two apiece following a pair of Boxing Day cancellations in the Gallagher Premiership. Covid-19 outbreaks among the Tigers and Irish squads rendered the fixtures impossible and Premiership Rugby panel chairman Andy Higginson, chief executive Darren Childs and rugby director Phil Winstanley met to decide on the allocation.
Both games will be officially recorded as 0-0 scorelines, but with Newcastle and Bath handed victories while their opponents take half the points, which would typically be awarded for a draw. Newcastle head into the new year in second place as a result, with 16 points.
Leicester had returned what they reported as a “small number” of positive tests after their European Challenge Cup win over Bayonne, but contact tracing meant several more players were forced to isolate ahead of the festive fixture and the training ground was shut down as a precaution.
London Irish did the same after returning positives in their December 21 screening, with further individuals later showing symptoms. Their training ground reopened on Monday.
A Premiership Rugby statement was released on both verdicts, concluding in each case with the following message.
“The health and safety of players, staff, management, officials and supporters is our only priority, so the correct decision was taken to call the game off.”
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Latest Comments
Cane shouldn’t have been one last year, based purely on performances. Lakai is as close to a like for like of swap of Savea you’re ever likely to find, based on his short career so far at least. He has many of the same qualities - very strong ball carrier, great at the breakdown, and an absolute work horse on defence. I feel like he and Sititi could lead the way in the loose at the next WC.
I think we have become obsessed with replacing Kaino with someone exactly like him. Kaino was a perfect foil for the other loose forwards we had at the time. Based on the talent we have around at the moment those players could be made up in the aggregate by three players who are all exception all rounders - Lakai, Sititi, and Savea. Missing some height for sure but Sititi’s defensive work in the line out last year was phenomenal. He gets off the ground so quickly and was able to steal a couple of balls off the top of the springbok line out.
If our young locks coming through can actually stay fit long enough to get selected, it seems inevitable that Va’ai could end up in a hybrid 6/lock role.
Go to commentsWas strange game, full of errors and the usual refereeing decisions. Both teams suffered as a result but Ospreys discipline was a major factor. I think this weekend will be different as the Ospreys will pick a full strength team but Scarlets will gain confidence in the fact that only Tipuric was missing in the forwards and they dominated that pack for the whole 80 minutes. If they can repeat that dominance at scrum and breakdown then the Scarlets backs will always have more to offer on the front foot.
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