Rugby Bristol given the all-clear to take on Wasps in play-off semi-final
BRISTOL Bears have been given the all-clear to play this weekend’s Gallagher Premiership semi-final against Wasps.
The Bristol Post understands Bristol had another week of completely negative testing for Covid19, leaving the club open to pursue a domestic and European double.
The clean bill of health from Premiership Rugby’s biweekly testing comes following confirmation Sale Sharks must forfeit their Round 22 match with Worcester Warriors, which was controversially postponed on Sunday following an outbreak of 19 cases of Covid-19 at the club.
A victory in the game would have put Sale into the play-offs at the expense of Bath, who drew 17-17 with Saracens at the weekend, and was due to decide who played who in both semi-finals.
However, yesterday results came back from Premiership Rugby’s weekly coronavirus testing programme which saw all
Sale Sharks players and staff members tested on Tuesday and an additional six players and two staff were found to have the virus, meaning there have been a total of 27 positive tests at Sale Sharks in the last seven days .
As a result, last night’s scheduled game had to be forfeited and Worcester Warriors were awarded a 20-0 victory.
Bath will now travel to Exeter Chiefs in the other semi-final, with both games being played on Saturday. Bristol’s game will kickoff at 1.30pm, with Bath’s match at Exeter starting at 4.30pm.
Bristol will then compete in the European Challenge Cup final in France against Toulon on Friday, October 16.
Despite rising cases of coronavirus in the UK, it comes as little surprise the Bears have tested negative as director of rugby Pat Lam outlined the extreme lengths the club are going to protect themselves from infection.
Speaking after the 36-7 victory over London Irish on on Sunday, he told the Bristol Post: “If I had even one or two (positive cases) in our team, our concern is for our opposition, not just us. I would feel really bad if we gave it to another team. Every player is connected to a family so it has a far reach.
“That is why we have all made massive sacrifices in our own social time. Even my own older kids, they are in their 20s now, but I don’t hug them when they come home, we keep our distance, because I can’t take the risk.
“Every day I get the tests it is a nervous wait for the whole team. As soon as we get that negative I am one of the most relieved men going and can enjoy it.”
Lam and Bristol can now fully focus on facing Wasps who have beaten them home and away this season, winning 26-21 at Ahton Gate in December when Nizaam Carr scored a late try. It was Bristol’s first home defeat of the season.
A Bears second side were beaten 59-35 at the Ricoh last month as Lam rested many of his top players for European duty.