SRU must stand up to brazen French

The SRU need to stand up to brazen attempts by France to have the postponed Six Nations match between the countries played when it suits them — provided of course that their own Government don’t kick them out of the competition first for breaking Covid protocols.

It really takes the croissant that, despite the French rugby union’s own botched handling of the situation, the very same people are trying to control the narrative over when the fixture is to be replayed.

The chairman of the Six Nations Council is 1990 Grand Slam legend John Jeffrey. If he and his board have a sense of fair play, they should let Scotland decide when the match is replayed and kick the French proposal to play it when it suits them straight into touch.

The two dates the French have come up with already were made public without consultation with Scotland officials in an attempt to put pressure on them to fall in line.

The first is Friday, March 26, which is six days after Scotland play

Italy at BT Murrayfield. The other — even more unacceptable and ridiculous option — is to play the game on Saturday, July 3.

Both dates fall outside the international window, so english-based players such as Stuart hogg, Jonny Gray and Chris harris won’t be available unless a special agreement or compensation is paid to release them. There is even a chance that Racing 92 — if they want to be bloody-minded — won’t release Finn Russell as he is classed as a foreign player in French rugby.

Not surprisingly, on both occasions the French will have all their top players such as world-class scrum-half Antoine Dupont and captain Charles Ollivon, injury permitting, back and ready for action.

Both were among the first batch of French players who were due to miss Sunday’s Six Nations match after they tested positive for Covid. France were set to soldier on with reinforcements but then, last Thursday, yet another positive test within the squad saw the game called off. Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend, who declined to speak publicly on the matter, probably because he would struggle to contain his anger at the late call-off, released a short statement instead. he made clear the Six Nations organisers have to make sure that he has all his leading players, such as captain hogg, available to play against France whenever the match is rearranged.

‘It remains our position that we want to have all our eligible players available to us for that fixture, so we can compete to the level we would have done against France on the Sunday,’ he said.

It is an important stand for Townsend (below) to take and one that SRU chief executive Mark Dodson — who is on the Six Nations committee — has to back up when a final decision on the rearranged date is made later this week.

Through all of this debacle there has been an arrogant Gallic shrug when Scotland’s concerns over when to play the fixture are mentioned.

The French rugby union should consider themselves lucky that the SRU didn’t call for a 28-0 walkover victory because they couldn’t fulfil the fixture. They should show a bit of contrition, especially as their own Government think they are in the wrong.

The French sports minister Roxana Maracineanu has ordered an inquiry into the French squad breaking Covid guidelines, on one occasion going out for waffles rather than eating in the team hotel. The players have not had any leadership on the matter from head coach Fabien Galthie, who also tested positive for Covid.

The whole thing has been a French farce from beginning to end, with the only fair outcome being a rearranged fixture that suits Scotland first and foremost and certainly not France, whose governing body should hang their heads in shame over the way they have handled the situation.