The Var club refused the postponement of the match against the Welsh proposed by the EPCR and will therefore have a lost match on the green carpet.
The end of an imbroglio as only rugby can create. Rugby Club Toulonnais refused to play Friday against the province of Scarlets, because of a case of Covid-19 among the Welsh. The EPCR, which organizes the continental competitions, wanted this match of the second day of the Champions Cup to take place and that it be postponed until Sunday. Problem, the Var club returned to France on Friday evening, just after refusing to play.
»READ ALSO – “Anger and injustice predominate,” says Lemaître after the postponement of the Scarlets-Toulon match
The RCT had to respond to the proposal to postpone the EPCR before this Saturday 1 p.m. But the Var club refused this change of date, reveals The team. LesVarois will therefore have a lost match on the green carpet, with a score of 28-0. A decision which should be formalized in the coming hours by the European body.
Asked by our colleagues from RMC Sport, Toulon president Bernard Lemaître is under no illusions: “We are clearly and unfortunately heading towards a decision by the EPCR to give us the game lost. The postponement until tomorrow Sunday was neither acceptable nor materially possible as I explained at length to Vincent Gaillard (general manager of the body). ” And to add: “In fact, this postponement proposal is only made to fully justify the non-presentation of the RCT. And therefore the penalty for a match lost with zero points. “
The Toulon leader underlines that “after the dozen of contact cases in the Bath team following the last Scarlets game, the EPCR had the duty to take matters into hand from Monday to take the necessary measures and extinguish the fears natural values of RCT. We are victims of lack of foresight ”.
The Scarlets defend themselves
For their part, the Scarlets reacted to this gruesome situation via a press release. “The Scarlets have followed all competition and health service procedures in Wales following the positive Covid-19 case that emerged after this week’s series of tests. The player who tested positive and a small number of identified contact cases were isolated according to public health guidelines. Our medical staff strictly followed all procedures. These procedures were then reviewed by an independent body. Subsequently, the EPCR was happy that the match could be played, ”said the province based in Llanelli.
The Welsh defend themselves by advancing, like the EPCR, that they had offered “the possibility for Toulon to play the match on Sunday and for us to undergo a new series of Covid tests before the match. We thank our players and all our staff for the professionalism they have shown. ” With this defeat on the mat, RC Toulon will complicate matters with a view to qualifying for the quarter-finals of this unprecedented Champions Cup.
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