TIPPING POINT
Pressure on Six Nations chiefs to hand Scots victory
CALLS are growing for Scotland to be awarded a 28-0 Six Nations victory if France are found to have breached Covid regulations.
Tournament organisers were forced to postpone the Paris showdown after the French squad once again had to self-isolate when an 11th player tested positive.
A decision on when the match will be played will be made next week, with potential dates in March being considered.
While Six Nations chiefs maintain they would prefer all matches to be played, the significant issues surrounding the release of players by their clubs could
seriously disadvantage Gregor Townsend’s (below) side.
The whole affair is the subject of an internal investigation at the French Rugby Federation (FFR) — with the French Sport Ministry also applying pressure on FFR president Bernard Laporte.
They have given him until Thursday to come up with some answers as to how the virus spread in the France camp, while the country’s Health Ministry are conducting their own investigation. There is some discontent over the FFR’s handling of the situation, with the identity of ‘patient zero’ having apparently changed three times.
What is clear is that Scotland remains the innocent party in this debacle and it seems inconceivable they should find themselves missing some of their key players — including captain Stuart Hogg — if an agreement can’t be reached over player release for a rearranged game outwith the usual international window.
Last night, former Scotland captain and Sportsmail columnist Andy Nicol led calls for the game to be awarded to the men from Murrayfield if a breach is proven.
‘I think rescheduling this game is almost impossible without compromising the integrity of the match,’ said Nicol. ‘So, if France are proven to have breached strict Covid protocols, then Scotland should be awarded the points.
‘If they have not breached protocols and have just been unlucky, then we could be looking at next season and, maybe as late as November, before we get to see Scotland play France in Paris.
‘But some of the stories coming out of France would suggest there have been a number of breaches — and that is unacceptable to me if they are proven to be accurate.’
Head coach Fabien Galthie and another staff member were the first to test positive on February 16 — immediately after the team’s victory over Ireland in Dublin — and the virus has spread through the camp since.
Questions are being asked at the highest level, with Laporte saying: ‘It’s always hard to know the origin (of the outbreak). I would like to know if someone is at fault, or not. We are going to investigate to see how we got there.’
Brian Moore, the ex-England international, also believes Scotland should be awarded the match. He Tweeted: ‘I can’t work out why France don’t just forfeit the game if they are unable to fulfil it due to Covid. ‘Okay, that is unfortunate but the alternatives are worse and equally — if not more — unfair.’ Former Scotland back-row Johnnie Beattie, speaking on Le French Rugby Podcast, also put forward the case for the Scots to be handed the points.
The 35-year-old, who is based in France after finishing his playing career there with Bayonne, said: ‘Politically, it’s just blown up in France. I’ve got neighbours chapping my door asking what’s going on with Fabien Galthie and if there are going to be any repercussions — it’s just ridiculous. We don’t know if it’s him (who has breached regulations).
‘If they conduct an investigation and find it is Fabien, I don’t know what they are going to do. If we find that someone like Fabien or a fitness coach has intentionally broken the protocol that has been put in place by the Six Nations, it will be 28-0 for Scotland.
‘If someone has stepped out of it and thought they were above the protocol, it’s a real shame.’
Beattie dismissed the notion of playing the game in July. Scotland are planning to tour Georgia and Romania, and France are due to face Australia; while the Lions summer tour will also be taking place.
‘There are two windows that the French press are banding about — the first one can be ruled out straight away,’ said Beattie.
‘They’ve said the international window in July, when France have games against Australia, Scotland also have a Test series.
‘There’s also a Lions tour — we’re hopeful there will be more Scots on that Lions tour, but that means you’d be playing without Stuart Hogg or Finn Russell or Jamie Ritchie, so it can’t happen in July.
‘The only other window that would make sense is the weekend of March 28, but then you have to make sure the calendar is clear with each league — Pro14, Top14 and the Premiership.’
As it stands, Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors have fixtures that weekend, while there is a full card of Premiership and Top14 games.
Meanwhile, Zander Fagerson is expected to be available for Scotland’s final two Six Nations matches, against Italy and the re-arranged match with France.
Glasgow Warriors officials said three of their club games would count towards his four-match ban which meant the only international fixture they expect him to miss will be against Ireland at Murrayfield in two weeks’ time.