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The Top 14's radically different approach to social distancing
By Online Editors
While supporters across Europe are still getting used to the return of live rugby, images from France this weekend have shown a very different approach to social distancing. Unlike the Gallagher Premiership and Guinness Pro14, where games are currently being played behind closed doors, sporting events in France are permitted to have a limited attendance of up to 5,000 people.
Yet images shared on social media from a pre-season friendly between La Rochelle and Toulouse on Saturday appear to show a loose approach to social distancing.
While it would have been expected that supporters would be spaced out around the stadium, supporters were instead allowed sit in groups along the bottom tier of the main stand, with the upper half of the stand remaining empty.
At one end of the ground another small stand was open on both the top and bottom tiers, with supporters again clearly allowed to sit together in large groups.
The game was played at the Beaublanc Municipal Stadium in Limoges, and although social distancing measures do not seem to have been enforced in the stands, most supporters appeared to be wearing face coverings.
Toulouse held a 7-0 lead at half-time thanks to a converted Cheslin Kolbe try, but took control after the restart to run out convincing 38-0 winners with further tries from Antoine Miquel, Maxime Marty, Matthis Lebel and Maxime Médard.
The 2020/21 Top 14 campaign is due to start on September 4, and the current 5,000 capacity limit is expected to remain in place until early October at the earliest, despite some calls to allow an increased attendance limit.
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Latest Comments
My ‘fantasy’ team V Ireland,
Including options from ABXV if needed, as V Mun better V Ireland better prep than England.
The most important aspect V Ireland is AB need ALL their loosies AND 'loosie capable locks' on ALL match [except IF(?) any tiring ie the aging & slowing eg Cane]. As follows,
{starting} bench (3rd choice)
1 {De Groot} / Tu’ungafasi (Williams)
2 { anyone that can throw!! }/ Aumua (Brodie McAlister)
Ryan! coach lineouts & Aumua to throw!
3 {Lomax}/ Tosi (Newell )
Tosi immense strength V England
4,5 Locks { P.Tuipulotu, S.Barrett }, Vaa’i, Darry
( Isaia Walker-Leawere)
Vaa’i off V Eng. Assumed due to leg injury(?)
6,7,8 Loose forwards { Sititi, A.Savea, Cane } Vaa’i, S.Barrettm, P.Tuipulotu back up (Devan Flanders, Du'Plessis Kirifi )
9 {Roigard } Ratima ( TJ )
10 {D.McK} Perofeta ( Plummer)
12 {J.Barrett } ALB ( Q.Tupaea )
13 {Proctor} Ioane ( AJ Lam )
Ioane (off V England ) but Irish experience (NO not Sexton!)
14 { Tele’a} Reece (bkup W.Jordan )
11 {C.Clarke} Narawa (K.Naholo)
15 {W.Jordan} Love (Stevenson)
Go to commentsI guess the other option would be to start ALB, he's looked good in the 12 so far when he starts and sets up those outside him. But that would mean putting the vice captain on the bench, which is unlikely. Another option would be to drop Reiko to the bench and play Proctor, though he's gone home so that's not going to happen either.
Both of those players just offer more of the soft distribution skills good centres learn from playing their careers there. Unfortunately that's what's lacking with the current combo.
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