New rebound in the saga of the cluster within the XV of France.

The detection of a new positive case of Covid-19, Thursday, February 25, within the Blues resulted in the postponement of the scheduled match against Scotland as part of the third day of the Six Nations Tournament, despite a decision to the contrary. Eve.

In a meeting late Thursday morning, the Six Nations Testing Monitoring Group (TOG) "unanimously recommended the postponement of the France - Scotland match," the organizing committee said in a statement. now working on a new date. 

The day before, the organizers had kept the match on the scheduled date, in the absence of a new case of Covid-19 in the French selection during the tests carried out Monday and Tuesday evenings.

But the latest screenings carried out on Wednesday revealed a new infected player, whose identity was not communicated by the French Rugby Federation (FFR). 

This brings to sixteen the number of confirmed positive cases in the blue contingent since the beginning of last week: twelve players and four members of the management, including coach Fabien Galthié.

The FFR therefore decided Thursday to suspend training and place "the entire group in isolation in accordance with the health protocol", while the press point scheduled at 2:30 pm in video-conference with players and members of staff was canceled. 

Initially, the 31 players of the France group were to perform a so-called "high intensity" opposition at the national rugby center in Marcoussis (Yvelines), a crucial moment of preparation, which outlines the group of twenty-three players selected for the match .

What new date?

Started like a dream, with success in Italy (50-10), then especially in Ireland (15-13) - the first in Dublin for ten years - the 2021 campaign has turned into a nightmare since the appearance of this cluster.  

But the XV of France, leader in the standings and in search of a first title in the Tournament since 2010, has at least avoided the worst scenario: that of a match lost on the green carpet.

Scottish Rugby statement ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/fNpk7wt93E

- Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) February 22, 2021

At the end of January, the general manager of the Tournament, the French Benjamin Morel, had affirmed that the postponement would be the "privileged" track in the event of impossibility to play the match on the scheduled date for reasons related to the pandemic. 

It remains to be seen when the match can take place.

Scotland have already indicated that playing on March 6 or 7 does not delight them as many of their players are mobilized that weekend with their clubs.

An ongoing investigation

Sports Minister Roxana Maracineanu on Wednesday asked FFR President Bernard Laporte to launch an investigation.

The minister also asked the Ministry of Health "in order to understand how the chain of contaminations was formed" within the XV of France.

The investigation must be submitted within eight days.

"It's always difficult to know the origin. We don't know anywhere. I would love to know it, to tell you the truth. This is something that concerns me and I would really like to know if anyone has wrong or not, quite simply, "said Bernard Laporte Thursday morning at the microphone of FranceInfo.

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