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Despite match cancellation, Highlanders still required to self-isolate

(Photo by Teaukura Moetaua/Getty Images)

The Highlanders will be the first New Zealand professional athletes to undergo self-isolation despite their Super Rugby match in Buenos Aires being aborted because of the coronavirus threat.

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SANZAAR gave just five hours notice when announcing the Jaguares clash with the Highlanders match scheduled for Sunday morning (AEDT) had been cancelled.

The round-seven match would have been played at an empty Jose Amalfitani Stadium after advice from the Argentina government as it bids to stymie the spread of Covid-19.

Another SANZAAR review deemed the match shouldn’t go ahead at all and that the match be declared a draw, with both teams to earn two competition points.

However, the decision came too late for the Dunedin-based Highlanders, who will arrive home on Tuesday, well after a midnight Sunday cut-off when the New Zealand government’s border restrictions begin.

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Any person arriving after that time undergo a 14-day isolation period, a mandatory sce nario that awaits a tour squad of players and staff that numbers well in excess of 30 people.

SANZAAR on Saturday declared Super Rugby would be suspended indefinitely beyond round seven, stating the heavy international travel involved made it unviable while measures are put in place to prevent the virus spreading.

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NZ Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson said the safe return of its players was a priority before it could begin to assess how rugby and its stakeholders will cope with the loss of matches.

“The decision to suspend competitions is being made for many events around the world and this is an important step the sporting world can take to ensure that teams and fans are not affected by the pandemic,” he said.

It is the second-straight year the Highlanders have had a game cancelled at a time of crisis.

Last year’s fixture against the Crusaders was annulled as it fell in the immediate wake of the Christchurch mosque shootings.

– AAP

WATCH: The sixth series of ‘The Season’ in partnership with Brisbane Boys College – In the lead up to the series premiere, we take a look at some of the personalities involved including barnstorming centre, Jack Howarth.

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Flankly 1 hour ago
'Absolute madness': Clive Woodward rips into Borthwick in wake of NZ loss

Borthwick is supposed to be the archetypical conservative coach, the guy that might not deliver a sparkling, high-risk attacking style, but whose teams execute the basics flawlessly. And that's OK, because it can be really hard to beat teams that are rock solid and consistent in the rugby equivalent of "blocking and tackling".


But this is why the performance against NZ is hard to defend. You can forgive a conservative, back-to-basics team for failing to score tons of tries, because teams like that make up for it with reliability in the simple things. They can defend well, apply territorial pressure, win the set piece battles, and take their scoring chances with metronomic goal kicking, maul tries and pick-and-go goal line attacks.


The reason why the English rugby administrators should be on high alert is not that the English team looked unable to score tries, but that they were repeatedly unable to close out a game by executing basic, coachable skills. Regardless of how they got to the point of being in control of their destiny, they did get to that point. All that was needed was to be world class at things that require more training than talent. But that training was apparently missing, and the finger has to point at the coach.


Borthwick has been in the job for nearly two years, a period that includes two 6N programs and an RWC campaign. So where are the solid foundations that he has been building?

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