Paris (AFP)
Fifteen positive cases for Covid-19, including the coach Fabien Galthié and more than half of the holders: how the XV of France, yet subject to a health bubble, could he suffer so many infections, which weaken his conquest of the Six Nations Tournament?
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Who is the first to be infected?
Two days after the victory of the Blues in Ireland (15-13), the French Rugby Federation reported two cases on Tuesday February 16.
One positive, that of a member of the technical staff, in this case a physical trainer, whose identity has not been specified.
The other "suspicious and unproven" concerns Fabien Galthié.
After a new test carried out during the day, the breeder is diagnosed positive.
There followed a cascade of contaminations with, in less than a week, eleven infected players including eight holders in Dublin and two other members of the staff, forward coach William Servat, and Karim Ghezal, co-coach of the conquest .
For the vice-president of the FFR, Serge Simon, no doubt.
"Patient zero, we know him: he is our physical trainer," he said Monday in an interview at Midi Olympique.
How did he get the virus?
In contact with the French rugby sevens team, which trained with the French XV and some of whose players tested positive before Ireland-France?
"Scientifically, there is nothing to confirm or deny it, we have no explanation on this subject. Our only certainty is that no player in the XV has been contaminated by a player from France 7, since the positive cases of this week are transmissions within the group XV of France ", explained Simon.
For his part, Galthié assured the daily L'Equipe that "all (his) actions" had been "in accordance with the health protocol".
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An indestructible bubble?
After so many contaminations, the question of the sealing of the bubble inevitably arises.
At the start of preparation in Nice at the end of January, Galthié had thirty-seven selectable players, plus five training partners.
The number of players was finally reduced to thirty-one to reduce the back and forth between the bubble and the clubs and thus the risk of contamination.
But for the oppositions in training, in Nice and then in Marcoussis, the staff had called on the French septists.
They trained in the same place and also had to respect a health protocol.
In the Alpes-Maritimes, players and staff were not confined 100% of the time in their privatized hotel either.
At the end of January, they had visited, masked, the staff of the Nice University Hospital, as the CHU had tweeted.
The Tournament having taken a break last weekend, the players were also entitled to a few days off to join their families.
Minister Delegate for Sports Roxana Maracineanu met Monday with FFR President Bernard Laporte and "asked that his cabinet be sent a daily report on the results of members of the French delegation, who are now tested every day. evening".
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What preparation against Scotland?
The Six Nations Committee confirmed Wednesday that the match will be held at the Stade de France on Sunday (4 p.m.) and will continue to monitor the situation "very closely" until then.
But the preparation of the Blues is not ideal.
After physiological work without contact and in small groups Tuesday, the thirty-one players mobilized were to resume collective training and "high intensity" Wednesday.
With the support of ten players from the France U20 team "whose serological tests attest to immunity to Covid-19", said the FFR.
But without several members of the management, still isolated, and a workforce strongly changed.
To face Scotland, the XV of France had to modify all of its first line, the pillars Cyril Baille and Mohamed Haouas as well as the hooker Julien Marchand having tested positive.
To these absences are added those of captain and third line Charles Ollivon, scrum half Antoine Dupont, center Arthur Vincent, winger Gabin Villière and rear Brice Dulin, also contaminated.
A complex situation to hope to sign a third victory and keep intact the ambition to achieve a first Grand Slam since 2010.
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