We don’t have a drug problem
THE RFU have defended their anti-doping policy despite admitting some players can slip the testers’ net for an entire season.
Figures released yesterday show that 623 Premiership and Championship players were drug-tested in the 2016-17 season.
All turned up negative results for performanceenhancing drugs but one anonymous player tested positive for cocaine.
England players get tested between eight and 12 times a year but some Premiership players can go a whole campaign and not have to submit to the dope controllers.
Stephen Watkins, the RFU’s anti-doping programme manager, said: “Some would be tested three times a season, but some would go a season without being tested. What we can say is that there is no systemic problem.
“I speak to a lot of Premiership players. It is a deterrent because they simply don’t know when the testers are coming in. Even if a tester comes in and tests another player, they are still seeing it.
“Many of our players have played 10 years in the Premiership so will have been tested many times. This is not something that we are necessarily overly concerned about.
“The testing programme we have in place is designed to be intelligent and specific, targeting what we believe to be risk periods – the off-season and the build-up to the season.”
Wales wing Liam Williams continues his return from an abdominal injury as Saracens travel to Sale tonight and could make a Test comeback against Ireland next Saturday.
Saracens will go top of the Premiership if they win and include Nick Isiekwe and George Kruis at lock, with Kruis replacing Will Skelton, who has a broken arm.
Sale start Denny Solomona on the wing after he, like Isiekwe, was released from England camp on Tuesday.
At Kingston Park, Zach Mercer, another who was let go from Eddie Jones’s squad in the week, lines up at No8 for Bath against Newcastle, who have Toby Flood back at fly-half after a head knock.