FRANCE have announced that two more players, Arthur Vincent and Julien Marchand, have tested positive for Covid 19, taking the total within their squad to five. Centre Vincent and hooker Marchand have both been omitted from the squad of 31 announced today for next Sunday’s game against Scotland, as have the three who returned positive tests late last week – star scrum-half Antoine Dupont, prop Mohamed Haouas and winger Gabin Villière.
Prop Jean-Baptiste Gros and second-row Swan Rebbadj, have been identified as ‘case-contact’ within their club, have also been left out.
All five of the players who have tested positive began last weekend’s Six Nations match against Ireland. Gros and Rebbadj have not yet been involved in the match-day squad.
Two more French players return positive Covid tests
Club first for Adam Hastings – but blond bombshell ready for Scotland call
Edinburgh v Munster: Cockerill looks forward after predictable defeat
Four members of France’s backroom team, including head coach Fabien Galthié and assistant coaches William Servat and Karim Ghezal, have also tested positive.
Another round of testing took place this [Sunday] morning as France try to get to grips with the extent of the spread of the virus within the squad bubble, but as it stands they are continuing to prepare for next Sunday’s match with the assumption that it will go ahead as scheduled.
France’s health minister Olivier Véran announced on Thursday that the self-isolation requirement for those testing positive would increase from seven to ten days from Monday.
Voici la liste des 31 joueurs convoqués dans le groupe #XVdeFrance à partir de ce soir à Marcoussis afin de préparer le match contre l'Écosse !
Suite à des tests complémentaires réalisés hier, Julien Marchand et Arthur Vincent ont été testés positifs à la Covid-19.#NeFaisonsXV
— France Rugby (@FranceRugby) February 21, 2021
Edinburgh v Munster: Cockerill looks forward after predictable defeat