Chiefs Cup final rivals are hit by positive Covid tests
Racing 92 forced to postpone league clash after a number of results return positive
EXETER Chiefs’ European Heineken Champions Cup final opponents have been hit by a number of positive Covid-19 cases just two weeks ahead of the final.
Racing 92’s Top 14 game this weekend against La Rochelle has been suspended as a result.
French media reported today the number of positive cases at the Parisian club could be as high as nine, although it is unclear how many of the cases are from the playing squad.
Even in a best case scenario those who have tested positive will have to self-isolate for 14 days, meaning they can not return to training with the Racing squad until three days before the final.
A statement from Racing 92 read: “Tests carried out on the entire professional group on Wednesday morning revealed several positive cases. We are now awaiting the recommendations of the Ligue National Rugby, which we will apply with all the necessary rigour.”
Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR) regulations state that any club that registers three or more positive cases of coronavirus cannot compete in competitive fixtures.
Racing 92 earned their place in the Champions Cup final, which is set to be held at Bristol Bears’ Ashton Gate Stadium on October 17, by defeating Saracens 19-15 in their semi-final clash last weekend.
Exeter Chiefs advanced to their first European final with a 28-18 semi-final victory over Toulouse on Saturday.
This is not the first time a French club have had to cancel a game due to the coronavirus pandemic since rugby restarted with Stade Francais having to cancel their pre-season match against Toulon in August after it was revealed an undisclosed number of players had tested positive for Covid-19.
Meanwhile, director of rugby, Rob Baxter, was not happy with what he saw from a second string Chiefs side after they were beaten 22-19 by London Irish on Wednesday.
The Chiefs have already qualified for a home semi-final in the play-offs by finishing top of the Gallagher Premiership table and they will bring the curtain down on their regular campaign with a trip to Wasps this weekend.
Wasps are still in with a shout of finishing in the top four and the likelihod is that Exeter will again field a weakened team with the play-offs and the European Champions Cup final on the horizon.
Some have questioned the integrity of Chiefs fielding a weakened side this weekend with so much at stake for others, but Baxter is only worried about what is best for his club.
“As a group we’ve earned the opportunity to organise these games how we want to,” Baxter said.
“The only thing we’ll be focusing on is what’s good for us as a club. We’ve earned that right, in a very difficult scenario, to be in a position to manage ourselves now.
“The key is going to be having the largest and best group ready to play big games of rugby as possible.
“And some of that does include guys getting some minutes against Wasps and for other guys it means giving the chance to have a really good training period of 10 days in preparation for the semi-final.
“The players have earned the right to get to semi-finals and finals and we have to manage that to the best of our ability, and the reality is it’s for everyone else to get themselves into the top four and find out where they end up.
“That’s not the responsibility of us any more. We’ve done our bit.”