England A international at Welford Road cancelled

THE England A v Scotland A rugby international due to be played at Mattioli Woods Welford Road yesterday was called off after further Covid-19 positive tests in the Scotland squad.

The match will not be rearranged. Five Leicester Tigers had been named in the England XV: Ellis Genge, Joe Heyes, Harry Wells, Dan Kelly and Freddie Steward, while Matt Scott was captaining Scotland, who had Cameron Henderson in their second row.

Ticket holders will receive an automated refund in the coming days.

England will now turn their attention to their next two fixtures –

Test matches against USA (July 4, 2pm lick-off) and Canada (July 10, 3pm kick-off), both at Twickenham Stadium.

The squad was due to train at Welford Road yesterday morning, before regrouping at Pennyhill Park today.

Eddie Jones was due to name an updated squad for the Test matches today.

Jones said: “We are of course very disappointed not to be playing this match and particularly playing in front of a great crowd in Leicester.

“However, we understand the safety and wellbeing of all of our teams and supporters is the most important thing and we wish Scotland the very best.”

In a statement, the Scottish Rugby Union said: “The entire squad and management team were PCR-tested early on Thursday morning and, with no positive results returned from the playing group, the team travelled to Leicester on Friday afternoon.

“However, following a further round of PCR testing on Saturday morning, Scottish Rugby can confirm that three positive tests for Covid-19 have been returned.

“The three members of the camp that tested positive have started isolation as per Scottish government guidelines, and the Scottish Rugby medical team have since begun internal contact-tracing to determine those that are close contacts, and as such will also have to self-isolate as per Scottish Government guidelines.”

Scotland, who have a number of players on the British and Irish Lions’ South Africa tour, are due to play Romania and Georgia next month. ■■Conor Murray admits even he was surprised to be appointed British and Irish Lions captain once Alun Wyn Jones had been ruled out of the tour to South Africa by a dislocated shoulder.

The Lions are reeling from the loss of Jones after he lasted only seven minutes of Saturday’s 28-10 victory over Japan at Murrayfield.

As a veteran of three previous tours and the world’s most capped international, the Wales skipper was a talisman for the squad and Warren Gatland’s overwhelming choice for the role.

Now into his shoes steps Murray, an on-field general who is favourite to start the Test series at scrum-half, but a player with no captaincy experience for Ireland or his provincial side Munster.

It is a leftfield appointment by Gatland, who overlooked more vaunted campaigners such as Owen Farrell, Maro Itoje and Ken Owens.

When asked if he was surprised by his elevation to tour leader, Murray said: “A little bit, to be honest.”