Let the bells ring out

Wouldn’t it be great if we could all celebrate the end of lockdown with a public holiday? In my village, we’re thinking of staging a street party and it would be such a lift if the church bells could ring and we could all raise a glass to the workers and volunteers who have got us out of this nightmare.

Sheila Collar, by email

EDINBURGH centre George Taylor is hoping he can put together a string of games to end his injury-hit season on a high.

He had been down to start for Edinburgh against Benetton at BT Murrayfield today before the fixture was postponed after one of the Italian players returned a positive Covid test.

‘Due to a concern around close contacts and having considered all of the available evidence, the Pro14 Rugby Medical Advisory Group has deemed this fixture cannot go ahead as scheduled,’ said an Edinburgh spokesman.

‘Pro14 Rugby will look at available dates from April onwards to reschedule the game.’

The postponement is a frustration for Taylor, who now can’t wait for the next fixture for the capital club against Connacht in Galway next Friday when he can get more game time under his belt after such a stop-start season.

The Edinburgh player was sidelined for more than two months after what his head coach Richard Cockerill described as ‘a flying head-butt’ by Scarlets’ Josh Helps in a league match in November.

‘The surgeon went in at three places including above the eye and in the mouth,’ said Taylor. ‘They put a metal plate in and I will have for ever, so I was plated, fixed up and left good to go.’

Taylor’s return to action after injury against Zebre in late

January didn’t go to plan as he was sent off and banned for three matches following a dangerously high tackle just five minutes after coming off the bench.

‘It’s been difficult this season as I had one of the worst injuries I’ve suffered and the red card on my return was not great,’ he said.

‘One of my biggest concerns when I came back after my ban last week against Scarlets was match fitness. Obviously, you can run as much as you want outside but when you come into a game, it’s a lot different.

‘I thought there would be more of a mental block after my injury but I didn’t feel like there was.

‘I’ve recovered fully from the injury and I am now looking forward to games coming up.’