LEINSTER HAVE POSTPONED today’s squad training session as a precautionary measure following the small outbreak of Covid-19 confirmed by the province last week.
Three senior players and one member of staff tested positive for Covid ahead of Leinster’s Champions Cup round one fixture against Bath on Saturday, a game Leo Cullen’s team won comfortably at the Aviva Stadium.
Leinster are due to travel to play Montpellier on Friday, but their condensed training week has now been disrupted with the cancellation of today’s training session at their UCD base.
And according to reports in France, Montpellier have also been hit by Covid, with two staff members testing positive on Friday, and two players testing positive following the French side’s defeat away to Exeter on Saturday. As a result, Montpellier also postponed training today, but are set to train as normal tomorrow following further testing.
Likewise, Leinster are due to return to training tomorrow following a full round of antigen and PCR testing.
Leinster had also been due to host their usual Monday media conference later today, but that has also been postponed until Tuesday.
The IRFU and EPCR were both consulted in advance of the decision to postpone training.
“Given the positive Covid-19 cases in Leinster Rugby ahead of Saturday’s Heineken Champions Cup game against Bath Rugby, Leinster Rugby will undergo another full round of antigen and PCR testing at its UCD base today,” a Leinster statement read.
“As a further precaution, until all results are confirmed, today’s training in UCD has been postponed until tomorrow.”
Updated at 5.20pm
James Ryan is a natural choice but the WC is coming a bit soon for it. I wouldn’t like Sexton as captain as I think he plays and leads better without. POM if he was in better form you would think.
@Brian O’Driscoll: cian healy or keith earls wouldn’t be bad candidates. Never let ireland diwn even when the rest of the team usually do
@Brian O’Driscoll: don’t think it’s too soon at all. Could be refreshing to have young leadership. Warbburton was a similar age in 2011 and they should have made the final.
@Brian O’Driscoll: James Ryan would a really interesting option
@Brian O’Driscoll: Ryan definitely has the pedigree. It would be unusual for JS to award captaincy to someone so young and relatively inexperienced. He’s usually cautious like that. Rob Kearney is a potential captain. I agree, at any other time it would be a no brainer, give it to POM but unless he has a big game in one of the next two tests his starting position could be under threat. Personally I’d like to see Ryan get it. As long as its not Johnny. He’s just too mouthy.
@Ger: Ryan seems the natural choice at the moment. Jonny and POM would probably still make all the decisions, but what a standard bearer!! and BOD, you’ve got a point about Jonny being too mouthy. My favourite moment was him telling gauzere, ‘i know you don’t like me, but you’ve still got to talk to me’
The only guaranteed starters who have actually played well in 2019 are Cian Healy and James Ryan. With all due respect to Cian, there’s only one option to be the captain.
@sup: it is reallt strange to have our captain effectively already retired but there are no outstanding candidates other than sexton and he does that anyhow with or without title. I don’t get impression Ryan is a very vocal guy. Leads by actions which is fine. I cant imagine him giving a “fear of god” type pre match speech. Maybe he will grow into that but def too early now.
@Kevin McCarthy: BOD never struck me as the type to give that chat either. There’s many different types of leadership, and actions often speak louder than words. Ryan would also be better at working the ref than someone like Sexton, that’s for sure.
@Kevin McCarthy: Can’t imagine Best lisping out a fear of God speech either so that shouldn’t be a factor . In any case those speeches can have more impact on tv viewers than on players in the dressing room .
In my opinion i’d love to see Garry Ringrose as captain. He has everybodies respect. Word on the grapevine is he works super hard in training be it with Leinster or Ireland.
James Ryan would be an interesting captain.
Would be interesting to see who Joe would pick as captain at the world cup instead of Best. (If he had to)
@Donal Peoples: Yea Sexton certain to start but has his issues as captain. O’Mahoney probably best choice but not a cert to start anymore
@Luke walkee: Ruddock, if he can get in the team ahead of PO’M, would be perfect. Big argument as to whether you’d drop PO’M.
@Cian Nolan: he’s a good captain but he might struggle to make the squad. I think if JS brings Klein it will be at the expense of a backrow. Beirne will be brought as a 2nd row/back row hybrid and Ruddock would be the most likely casualty. Personally I didn’t see anything from Klein against England or Italy that merits his place in the squad but JS seems to like him.
The main thing is Best should be left at home. No matter what his friends in the media say
If Rory isn’t captain there’s no need for him to travel.
Captain is a PR position who primary role is dealing with the media. Best is captain of the team but there are plenty of players who are leaders within the squad already. Dumping Best as captain would just create a media storm. Keep him in the position and if needs be he doesn’t have to start the big games.
@Eddie Hekenui: Have your (uninjured) captain on the bench for the World Cup? Sure then you have to make someone else who’s actually on the pitch captain anyway, so now you’ve two lads with their authority undermined. Plus you’re reinforcing a belief that some people are undroppable no matter what.
@Pseud O’Nym: Too much stock is placed in the idea of a captain as this leader and tone setter when it’s largely a symbolic role just dealing with the referee on the pitch, the media off the pitch and representing the players in the management group.
When BOD was captain it was often POC who would take the final team talk and be the vocal leader on the pitch. When there were fractures in the squad in 2009 it was Rob Kearney who stepped up and forced a honest discussion on the squad dynamic. Peter O’Mahony regularly takes a vocal role in the build up to games as does Sexton. Ireland have a team packed with leaders and having Best as squad captain but not in the starting team would have very little impact on that.
Just sit back and watch him answer his critics.
None of the other hookers come close and couldn’t lace his boots.
For me we need to be looking at the new breed of young hookers coming through
Ruddock would be my choice at this stage. Nothing special as a player but at least you realise he’s playing as opposed to POM and Best. Sexton is too much of a spoilt brat.
Jim Ryan