If it seemed impossible to pass completely between the drops of the Covid-19, cause of multiple reversals of situations, the European Cup would probably have preferred to avoid getting bogged down in controversy.
Started on Friday, the fourth and last day of the group stage, disrupted by new cancellations of matches due to positive cases within certain French clubs, is on the contrary the scene of a general fed up.
Nearly 20% of matches canceled
The Champions Cup opening duel between Bristol and the Scarlets, won on green carpet by the former due to a multitude of positive cases, will have finally set the tone for considerably chopped competitions.
On Saturday, adding to the list the victory on the green carpet of Racing, the defeats on the green carpet of Toulouse and Union Bordeaux-Bègles, there are no less than eleven Champions Cup and four Challenge Cup matches which have not not been played since the start of the competition. About 20% of the matches in each of the competitions could not take place. In the end, only the third day could take place entirely.
The quack of the second day
A situation that everyone could expect. The anger is mainly aimed at the choices, not always understood, of the EPCR, the governing body of these two competitions. At first, everything was pretty clear. If too many positive cases, or a period of isolation, prevented a club from fielding a competitive team, the match was won on green carpet 28-0 by their opponent. A rule that has greatly benefited the Racingmen, victorious twice under these conditions, and already qualified.
Except that the tightening of restrictions on travel between France and England decided by the French government just before the second day came to change the situation and confuse the issue a little more. In an unexpected mess, the meetings, initially postponed, were finally transformed into seven draws (0-0).
“A distinction must be made between the decision relating to these seven Matchday 2 matches and the decision to cancel other matches due to cases of Covid-19 or forced isolation affecting the availability of players (…) clubs involved were all available and authorized to play the matches if they had not been postponed due to unforeseen events”, then justified the instance.
The anger of French clubs and Stade Toulousain
A decision which had not failed to react the leaders of the French clubs concerned. When the general manager of Stade Français, Thomas Lombard, regretted a double sporting and financial sanction “for clubs that had to play at home”, UBB coach Christophe Urios attested to him that the competition no longer had any meaning: “Between those who lose with zero points, those who don’t play who have two points, it sucks. It annoys me because it distorts the competition”.
The tension went up a notch again on Saturday. If the defeat conceded by Toulouse on green carpet against Cardiff offers the qualification to the UBB, this decision could cost the qualification to the teammates of Romain Ntamack (7th, 7 points). “We will go to court against this decision because we are witnessing a total lack of respect”, warned Didier Lacroix, president of the Toulouse club, during a press conference on Saturday.
️ #STCAR, @didierlacroxx : “The decision to cancel the match and Stade Toulousain’s loss to Cardiff was disrespectful. EPCR warned Cardiff before us, without taking into account our arguments: A superior Covid-19 protocol, a negative team .”
– Stade Toulousain (@StadeToulousain) January 21, 2022
A position supported by the National Rugby League (LNR) in a press release. The body in charge of professional rugby in France has denounced a “scandalous and totally unfounded decision”. According to the LNR, the Toulouse club, despite numerous cases of Covid-19 in its ranks, has complied with the health rules in force in France to prepare for this home match, as required by the EPCR.
If the outgoing European champion still manages to qualify, it is not certain that the pill will be easier to digest. If he is eliminated, the situation could only worsen and tarnish a little more an already considerably distorted competition.