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Defending champions Exeter react to drastic call from France to cancel this season's Champions Cup

(Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Exeter boss Rob Baxter has admitted he is in the dark about calls from France to cancel the remainder of the 2020/21 Heineken Champions Cup tournament following the recent escalation in the spread of the pandemic. Montpellier owner Mohed Altrad wants the plug pulled on the 24-team tournament that has two rounds of pool matches due to be played this month. 

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There is also growing support among club presidents in the Top 14 to take a stand against EPCR on behalf the likes of Toulon who had a 28-0 defeat applied against them after they failed to fulfil their game at Scarlets due to concerns over the virus. 

EPCR reviewed their Covid-19 protocols on Monday, claiming they had not directly heard from any French clubs looking to pull out of their remaining Champions or Challenge Cup games. They have also now released the referee details for all their fixtures which further suggests it is full steam ahead on the weekend of January 15. 

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Goodbye 2020!

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Goodbye 2020!

It was why news of Altrad’s insistence that the Champions Cup should be scrapped to allow teams to concentrate on their domestic tournaments took Exeter boss Baxter by surprise. Exeter are minding their own business as regards the pandemic, admitting to some positive tests this week ahead of their league game with Bristol this weekend.

They will do a second round of testing to ensure there is no lingering issue in their camp ahead of next week’s Champions Cup visit by Toulouse to Sandy Park, a match Exeter must win having forfeited the December match due to their Covid situation that particular week. 

“To be honest I hadn’t seen that,” said Baxter when asked for his reaction to the latest claims coming out of France. “I saw there was one French club (Bayonne) talking about potentially pulling out but then I also saw the statement from EPCR that said they hadn’t had any communications about clubs contacting them. At his stage that is very much how I am reading it. So there are more clubs talking about it?

“You can’t really talk for anybody else,” he continued after he was told who had been saying what in the past day in France. “For ourselves, we feel we are dealing with the scenario pretty well. We are very keen to play, that is why we are here. 

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“Do I understand why people have their concerns and their worries and their doubts about it? 100 per cent because the reason we are in the scenario we are in, that should give a concern. Everyone should be entitled to their opinion about it. 

“Do I understand an opinion that said is it difficult to complete the competition? 100 per cent I do. But these are decisions beyond what I can make. These are decisions for EPCR and the stakeholders in the game for make. For us, we have to get on. 

“We’re being cleared as a professional sport to carry on in the current situation and that is what we have to do. We have to take responsibility for our own actions and how we behave in the things that we do and work from there really. At the moment that is all we can do. 

“There can be a lot of comment around what you want to do week by week, game by game, month by month, we are in such a climate of change at the moment and the most important thing is to focus on yourself and what you are doing. 

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“Every rugby club needs to almost get itself through things a little bit because the only thing you are in control of around Covid is practices you have in place. It’s an impossible scenario to try and do it for anybody else. That is really the only comment I can make. 

“I am sorry, I don’t really have a comment on whether the games should go ahead. At the moment we feel it would be safe for Toulouse to come here and play next week because of the practices that are here and in place. At the same time if’s not for me to ell Toulouse they should feel comfortable, is it? That has got to be their decision.”

Focusing on the current situation at Exeter ahead of Saturday’s top-of-the-table clash with Bristol, Baxter added: “We have had some positive tests but that is as far as I can say on that. It has had a light impact on the availability of players but not huge and we have selected a team that looks very good. 

“We are probably one of the teams when we do have anything in the camp Covid-wise we always try and organise a second round of testing, so we will do that either tomorrow [Thursday] or Friday. That will then ensure that anything is lingering or hasn’t been picked up won’t wait until next Monday. 

“We are one of these clubs that do feel a responsibility to try and get on top of anything very quickly and certainly not risk players going onto the field against opposition if there is any doubt about where they might be. 

“We are certainly going to have another round of testing later this week just to ensure nobody has slipped through the net and no one has become viral later in the week. That way we will ensure when we take the field we will do that with 100 per cent confidence that we are not risking transmitting anything to Bristol.” 

  

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Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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