July is only option in reality for game now

There’s some irony about the first game of the 2021 Guinness Six Nations being postponed as a result of an outbreak in France’s camp.

It was, after all, the French government that was most strident about the various health protocols to allow the championship to take place.

The Six Nations jumped through a few hoops before the French authorities, concerned about the UK variant of Covid-19, could give their approval for L’Equipe de France to play.

The French sports minister is apparently incandescent about the outbreak and is demanding an explanation.

It was unfortunate for France that the game might be played on Sunday with key figures like Charles Ollivon and Antoine Dupont absent.

It would be utterly unacceptable for a rescheduled date to play that disadvantaged Scotland, who are blameless in this affair.

I’m not one of those advocating a statutory 28-0 victory be awarded to Scotland. That was just about tolerable in the adhoc Autumn Nations Cup.

But that was mostly a vehicle for grabbing broadcasting rights money when the Home Unions had no other prospect of income.

This is the Six Nations. The games should be played with the best available XVs selected and that means France with Dupont, Ollivon and Dulin and it means Scotland with all their English-based players.

Scotland will not have their best players if the game is played outwith World Rugby’s Regulation 9 international windows.

There will be some who are not released by Gallagher Premiership clubs and possibly not Finn Russell from his French club Racing 92.

That’s entirely their right, they pay the considerable wages it took to prise those players from Scotland.

World Rugby has Regulation 9 in place to be fair to the clubs while accepting the preeminence of the international game. It doesn’t suit to play around with it, even in exceptional circumstances.

So when do we play the game? Not on the midweek between the last two games of this scheduled Six Nations. Player welfare has taken a hammering during the pandemic and that’s a step too far.

The next Regulation 9 window is the scheduled first week of the Lions’ Tour to South Africa. It seems certain that will not be played in South Africa, so there may be an opening.

It’s not ideal, a Six Nations game played three and a half months after the championship was supposed to finish. France might restore some home advantage with a crowd being possible within the Stade de France by then.

That solution leaves the best chance of all the best players of each nation playing, so it has to be the right one.

Neil McCann might not be in charge of Caley Thistle for a long time, but he wants it to be a good time. The unusual nature of the circumstances in which he has found himself back in management after more than two years away is not lost on McCann.

Having left Dundee in October 2018, he had been occupying himself as a pundit prior to Caley Thistle coming calling early this week.

Inverness needed someone to step into the breach after manager John Robertson took compassionate leave following a family bereavement – and a longterm illness to assistant manager Scott Kellacher.

McCann is, of course, a former Hearts winger and that he is a close friend of Jambos legend Robertson helped his case. He has also worked with Inverness chief executive Scot Gardiner.

The strength of the friendship was exemplified by Robertson giving his blessing for McCann to step into the role, for however long he is needed.

McCann said: “It was huge. It was one of the stipulations of considering the job.

“I spoke to Robbo and he was brilliant. It was important he knew – I suppose some people may have wanted to take this job for an audition to show how good they are.

“It was important that he knew I was coming in here to help him until he was ready to come back. I spoke to him for a couple of minutes then he went off on a tangent and told me everything I needed to know about the squad.

“That’s the passion and enthusiasm he has for the team. He just wanted me to do well and encouraged me to be me.

“I’m hoping John is going to recover quickly, but we can’t put any pressure on him. He has to feel right.

“Until he’s right, I’ll remain here. If that means through to the end of the season, then that’s what it is. I’m ready for that.

“If it’s shorter, brilliant – I’ll be delighted to see the wee man back.”

There is a sense of irony for McCann that his first two games in charge of Inverness will come against two of his former sides.

He was a Scottish Cup winner with tonight’s opponents Hearts, alongside Robertson, and had his only managerial spell at Dundee, whom the Caley Jags visit on Tuesday.

McCann said of tonight’s debut: “It will be a big game for me but to be honest it could have been against anyone and it would have been the same.

“I have a lot of love for Hearts but anyone who knows me knows that all I want to do is win games for Inverness.

“I have a job to do here and I will be as professional as I can.

“It is a tough game. Hearts are favourites for the title and rightly so. They have good coaches and a great squad with an incredible fanbase as we have seen with ticket sales.

“I think we have a good group of players here who are focused and we go into the game with one objective and that’s to try and win the game.”

McCann lost his job at Dundee after sitting bottom of the Premiership table in the early stages of the 201819 season. He came in initially on an interim basis in April 2017 and kept the Dark Blues in the top flight before steering them to a ninth-placed finish in his only full season in charge.

“Once I am in it, I am all in,” he added.

“I am really looking forward to seeing how the team performs against a great side but I think the most important thing for me is that the team has a tactical plan that will allow it to win the game and be strong and competitive. That is what I am looking forward to most.

“The best thing is when the whistle blows. That’s when you can see the game, see how it develops and see how the game is moving and hopefully that’s when you can affect it.”

“If it means for the season I’m ready. If it’s shorter I’ll be delighted John’s back

Antoine Dupont would have missed Sunday’s clash.

McCann was a Scottish Cup winner at Hearts.