SALE FORCED TO FORFEIT WITH 27 IN ISOLATION

SALE had to endure the ‘devastating’ termination of their Premiership title challenge yesterday as the club — and English rugby as a whole — were left grappling with the fall-out from the Covid crisis.

As revealed by MailOnline yesterday morning, the Sharks awoke to grim news of eight more positive test results which shattered their hopes of fulfilling the rescheduled match against Worcester at the AJ Bell Stadium last night. With a mass outbreak leaving a total of 27 players and staff in isolation, Sale announced that they had forfeited the fixture, only for Premiership Rugby to belatedly break cover and insist that they had actually cancelled it. After days of tension,

disruption, suspicion and accusations, as the domestic season was plunged into chaos, Sale were denied the prospect of finishing third or fourth in the table, which would have taken them into the play-offs. Instead, director of rugby Steve Diamond (right), his players and staff will be frustrated observers on Saturday when the semi-finals take place — Wasps v Bristol followed by Exeter v Bath. Responding to the setback which ruined their hopes of winning the league for the first time since 2006, Sale released a statement which read: ‘This is devastating for Sale Sharks, the players and staff with Covid-19 — denying the club the chance to challenge for the Premiership title.’ In a swipe at those who have claimed that the club’s outbreak was caused by breaches of protocol, the statement added: ‘Throughout the last six months, we have followed the official guidelines and protocols, with rigorous testing regimes and safety measures. Sale

Sharks is confident the audit carried out by the RFU over the past few days will confirm this absolutely. ‘Reports suggesting our players acted irresponsibly by partying and socialising throughout Manchester after our Premiership Rugby Cup victory are completely inaccurate and untrue.’ With Premiership Rugby being widely castigated for a lack of leadership during this turbulent period, the RFU have pledged to take action to guard against a repeat of the Covid-related chaos and safeguard the battered image of the sport. A statement released from Twickenham read: ‘The RFU is undertaking a full, thorough investigation and is working closely with Public Health England. We will consider if there are any lessons for all clubs. The RFU has concerns about how this situation has developed and will be making recommendations to PRL and the PGB (Professional Game Board) to avoid future uncertainty for clubs and players, as well as protecting the reputation of the game.’ Clubs accept that similar scenarios must be handled better in future. After Worcester expressed satisfaction about the cancellation of the game, their director of rugby Alan Solomons said: ‘I am absolutely sure that there will be a review of what has transpired.’ Asked if there should be an approach similar to the one in France, where a certain number of positive Covid tests at any club trigger an automatic lockdown, Solomons added: ‘It is something that has to be considered. ‘If there is a different regulation, and had we been in France, clearly they would have made the decision on the Friday.’ However, Solomons cut through recent acrimony to express solidarity with the club who Worcester were supposed to be facing last night. ‘Of course I have sympathy for Sale,’ he said. ‘To have an opportunity of the play-offs taken from them is sad.’ Exeter’s director of rugby, Rob Baxter, echoed Solomons’ sentiments, saying: ‘The common sense is that if there are 19 people with Covid in one area (the original level of Sale’s outbreak), then cancel the game. The difference is that common sense isn’t the law or the regulations of how we are playing. ‘What is highlighted is there probably needs to be another line of regulations for a multiple outbreak of however many — four, five, six. ‘You can’t blame Sale for saying, “We can fulfil the fixture” when the regulations say that if you can, then you can. Now we might need to add in another paragraph. I suspect that will happen before the new season. Is there anything PRL could have done to change the process? In hindsight, yes.’ Meanwhile, Northampton confirmed yesterday that England lock Courtney Lawes will be out for three months after surgery on an ankle injury.