Springboks cancel training after three players test positive and surge in Gauteng province has cast doubt on the entire series. rugby lions tour stream
The Covid-19 pandemic struck at the heart of the British & Irish Lions tour of South Africa on Sunday when the host team the Springboks cancelled training due to three positive cases in their squad.
As the Lions prepared to fly to South Africa on Sunday night with a new captain in Ireland scrum-half Conor Murray, in place of the injured Alun Wyn Jones, the Boks called off training in Johannesburg as “a precautionary measure”.
But there must be a worry over the entire venture, with Gauteng province, where Johannesburg is located, seeing a rise in cases of Covid-19 and prompting speculation its five matches would be switched to Cape Town, or the tour curtailed to just the three Tests, which are scheduled for 24 and 31 July, and 7 August.
Concerns over the virus have already forced the Lions’ eight tour matches in the Republic – starting this Saturday against the Emirates Lions in Johannesburg – to be played without spectators and in two city bases to reduce travelling. lions tour 2021 tv coverage
Rassie Erasmus, the World Cup-winning head coach who is now South Africa’s director of rugby, said the Springboks had followed all precautions during their three-week conditioning camp in Bloemfontein earlier this month, including mandatory Covid-19 testing three times a week, ahead of warm-up matches against Georgia on 2 and 9 July.
But training was called off one day after the squad had reassembled to continue preparations, with the three affected players reported in South Africa as being Sbu Nkosi, Herschel Jantjies and Saracens prop Vincent Koch.
South Africa’s president Cyril Ramaphosa was due to address the country on Sundayand expected to announce tighter lockdown regulations.
A statement from SA Rugby said: “Three players tested positive for the virus following stringent real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing procedures on arrival at the team base.
“Team management immediately put the squad into self-isolation as a precaution until specialist medical advice is sought from the Castle Lager Lions Series Medical Advisory Group.
The Lions’ squad trained in Jersey for the past two weeks, before switching to Edinburgh for Saturday’s warm-up win over Japan in Edinburgh, with no Covid cases to date.
Jones dislocated a shoulder against the Japanese, and flanker Justin Tipuric is also out of the tour with a shoulder injury, with fellow Welsh forwards Adam Beard and Josh Navidi called up as replacements.
The British & Irish Lions consist of players selected from the national teams of England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and Northern Ireland. Formed in 1888, the team currently tours in the Southern Hemisphere once every four years, rotating series between Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The Lions last toured New Zealand in 2017.
Previous British & Irish Lions tours of South Africa with test series results:
2009: B&I Lions 1W 2L
1997: B&I Lions 2W 1L
1980: B&I Lions 1W 3L
1974: B&I Lions 3W 0L 1T
1968: B&I Lions 0W 3L 1T
1962: B&I Lions 0W 3L 1T
1955: B&I Lions 2W 2L
1938: B&I Lions 1W 2L
1924: B&I Lions 0W 3L 1T
1910: B&I Lions 1W 2L
1903: B&I Lions 0W 1L
1896: B&I Lions 3W 1L
1891: B&I Lions 3W 0L
The British & Irish Lions Tour of South Africa will also be available to commercial establishments through the NBC Sports Pass – a customizable direct-to-consumer platform developed specifically for the retail pub/restaurant market in the U.S. Sharks vs British & Irish Lions Rugby
Sat., July 3 British & Irish Lions v. Emirates Lions (LIVE)
British & Irish Lions v. Emirates Lions* 11 p.m.
Wed., July 7 British & Irish Lions v. Cell C Sharks (LIVE)
British & Irish Lions v. Cell C Sharks* 6 p.m.
Sat., July 10 British & Irish Lions v. Vodacom Bulls (LIVE)
British & Irish Lions v. Vodacom Bulls * 11 p.m.
Wed., July 14 British & Irish Lions v. South Africa A (LIVE
British & Irish Lions v. South Africa A * 5 p.m.
Sat., July 17 British & Irish Lions v. DHL Stormers (LIVE)
British & Irish Lions v. DHL Stormers * 1 a.m.
Sat., July 24 British & Irish Lions v. Springboks (LIVE)
Sat., July 31 British & Irish Lions v. Springboks (LIVE)
Sat., Aug. 7 British & Irish Lions v. Springboks (LIVE)
Sun., Aug. 8 British & Irish Lions v. Springboks * 8:30 a.m.
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