Premiership Rugby statement

[DGP Wasp]

The party rumours have been doing the rounds for a while.  Surely by now photos would have emerged of them out on the lash if that had actually happened.

Ultimately though, whether through misfortune as a result of the reported false negative, or stupidity in failing to observe the regulations on social distancing etc, the risks to the rest of the Sale squad, to the Worcester squad tomorrow evening and then potentially to either Wasps or Exeter on Saturday remain the same and the game should not be played.  If the false negative story proves to be true (and it would be senseless to make up something that would be all too easy to prove/disprove), then my sympathy to Sale and their fans that this will cost them a playoff place.  However, Sale's playoff place should not be a higher priority than the well-being of their wider squad and that of their opponents.

[Horusthewasp]

I am disappointed, but not overly surprised, at the way supporters on here & other forums have jumped in without know whats actually happened.
Not only jumping in but forming a lynch mob! I don't overly like Diamond from what I've seen of him, but until I know he's guilty, I won't be involved in hanging him!

Were Sale the victim of a testing mistake or did they all go out on the p1ss?

We don't actually know, so until we do, I'm not going to speculate because it could very easily be Wasps having a false positive or a player(s) doing something stupid.

Paul, I certainly agree (and posted as such). I would hope that the same would be afforded to any other club in a similar situation (in particular a title contender or a club facing relegation) - after all this is due to a global pandemic not a club-related issue.

I think PRL must take the biggest responsibility here due to the inadequate communications and lack of transparency to date. When the latter is in short supply, rumours and hearsay are king - heck Pat Lam and Alan Solomons have been quoting rumours and Saints have in no uncertain terms refuted PRL’s statements - all this clearly shows the state of anger & confusion due to the lack of transparency and clarity.

I’m probably in the minority but I have no issue with the Sale game being postponed if there were absolute exceptional reasons (e.g false negatives as mentioned) but the back paddling and contradictory statements have only made it worse. The fact that clubs have resorted to publicly arguing their case (some times contradicting one another) is actually a reflection of PRL’s poor handling. Yes these are exceptional times but clear and open communications would of eased a lot of the anger and frustration we are seeing.

[mike909]

The party rumours have been doing the rounds for a while.  Surely by now photos would have emerged of them out on the lash if that had actually happened.

Ultimately though, whether through misfortune as a result of the reported false negative, or stupidity in failing to observe the regulations on social distancing etc, the risks to the rest of the Sale squad, to the Worcester squad tomorrow evening and then potentially to either Wasps or Exeter on Saturday remain the same and the game should not be played.  If the false negative story proves to be true (and it would be senseless to make up something that would be all too easy to prove/disprove), then my sympathy to Sale and their fans that this will cost them a playoff place.  However, Sale's playoff place should not be a higher priority than the well-being of their wider squad and that of their opponents.

Excellent post

Hence why Worcs seem to be saying they might boycott anyway - which further makes the situation untenable

[InBetweenWasp]

A pretty good debate on the Sale situation on Eggchasers this week:

-- Seen as a battle of the lawyers - i.e. Sale claiming to have followed PRLs rules to the letter, so essentially saying if they're not allowed to fulfill their fixture they'll sue and have have PRL 'bang-to-rights'
-- PRL seeking to accommodate not because of any bias to Sale, but for fear of Legal Reprisal
-- Questions over even if it was due to a false-negative (which again could be another Legal angle to take to PRL as they contracted for the League as a whole) surely the social distancing in training has meant that at best 4-5 other players (in the positive players contact bubble) should have been affected.  Not 18 players + 1 member of staff. 

The last point contradicts the first.  Sale claim to have followed the letter of the law, so how do they explain the spread of the virus. 

Ultimately, none of them thought the game would get played.

[Neils]

Noon and no Sale team yet.

[Neils]

But they now do and fairly strong.

[baldpaul101]

Bench are un-heard of, but that's to be expected.

[baldpaul101]

Luke James, 14. Denny Solomona, 13. Sam James, 12. Sam Hill, 11. Marland Yarde, 10. Robert du Preez, 9. Will Cliff; 1. Ross Harrison, 2. Cameron Neild, 3. Valerey Morozov, 4. Matt Postlethwaite, 5. Jean-Luc du Preez, 6. Jono Ross (Capt.), 7. Tom Curry, 8. Daniel du Preez.
Replacements:

 

Ewan Ashman, 17. Cal Ford, 18. Joe Jones, 19. Ewan Murphy, 20. Sam Dugdale, 21. Joe Bedlow, 22. Tom Curtis, 23. Connor Doherty.

there is a caveat:
*Subject to Sale Sharks entire squad undergoing further COVID 19 testing on Tuesday 6th October testing, If the club feel it is not safe to play or receive one additional positive test, Sale Sharks will forfeit their Gallagher Premiership Round 22 match with Worcester Warriors in order to ensure the health and safety of all concerned.

[NellyWellyWaspy]

The party rumours have been doing the rounds for a while.  Surely by now photos would have emerged of them out on the lash if that had actually happened.

Ultimately though, whether through misfortune as a result of the reported false negative, or stupidity in failing to observe the regulations on social distancing etc, the risks to the rest of the Sale squad, to the Worcester squad tomorrow evening and then potentially to either Wasps or Exeter on Saturday remain the same and the game should not be played.  If the false negative story proves to be true (and it would be senseless to make up something that would be all too easy to prove/disprove), then my sympathy to Sale and their fans that this will cost them a playoff place.  However, Sale's playoff place should not be a higher priority than the well-being of their wider squad and that of their opponents.

At no point did I entertain the 'party' rumours. My earlier comments ignored the how of the 19 positives. By Friday, they were what they were. My issue was that Sale should have accepted that 19 was most likely not all. They had decided how they thought it had happened (a false negative), but not about the consequences. Solomons brings that sharply in to relief. This is about players and their families. Sale's decision to not cede the game was taken on purely financial and the wish to compete in the semis grounds. That the PRL let them take that stance is highly questionable.

We simply are not privy to the details to know any more, but I maintain that it is unlikely that all 19 were asymptomatic, and thus some visible signs would have been present before the Saints game. The statement by Diamond pretty much confirms my view, that at no point are Sale concerned (showing as the priority) about the wider welfare and safety issue. That alone is worrying.

I hope that, in the next few minutes, we will have the answer that was needed in the first place on Friday, and let this episode get buried under the very thick rug down at HQ.

Solomons also confirmed the source of the rumour as being a Whatsapp post by a Sale player at 6:30 in the morning about having just left an after party (the post has apparently been widely circulated among the clubs).

[Raggs]

How the living feck can Sale play Ross Harrison, but Saints can't play their front row?

[Neils]

I think it is tomorrow before today's tests are in.

[Horusthewasp]

Luke James, 14. Denny Solomona, 13. Sam James, 12. Sam Hill, 11. Marland Yarde, 10. Robert du Preez, 9. Will Cliff; 1. Ross Harrison, 2. Cameron Neild, 3. Valerey Morozov, 4. Matt Postlethwaite, 5. Jean-Luc du Preez, 6. Jono Ross (Capt.), 7. Tom Curry, 8. Daniel du Preez.
Replacements:

 

Ewan Ashman, 17. Cal Ford, 18. Joe Jones, 19. Ewan Murphy, 20. Sam Dugdale, 21. Joe Bedlow, 22. Tom Curtis, 23. Connor Doherty.

there is a caveat:
*Subject to Sale Sharks entire squad undergoing further COVID 19 testing on Tuesday 6th October testing, If the club feel it is not safe to play or receive one additional positive test, Sale Sharks will forfeit their Gallagher Premiership Round 22 match with Worcester Warriors in order to ensure the health and safety of all concerned.

Quite a few big name omissions like JCW, De Klerk, Beaumont, Ben Curry, Hammersley, De Jager, McGuigan, McGinty, Oosthuizen, Ross, Van Rensburg, Webber & Weise. Positive tests or rotation for a potential 3 day turnaround?

[DGP Wasp]

Luke James, 14. Denny Solomona, 13. Sam James, 12. Sam Hill, 11. Marland Yarde, 10. Robert du Preez, 9. Will Cliff; 1. Ross Harrison, 2. Cameron Neild, 3. Valerey Morozov, 4. Matt Postlethwaite, 5. Jean-Luc du Preez, 6. Jono Ross (Capt.), 7. Tom Curry, 8. Daniel du Preez.
Replacements:

 

Ewan Ashman, 17. Cal Ford, 18. Joe Jones, 19. Ewan Murphy, 20. Sam Dugdale, 21. Joe Bedlow, 22. Tom Curtis, 23. Connor Doherty.

there is a caveat:
*Subject to Sale Sharks entire squad undergoing further COVID 19 testing on Tuesday 6th October testing, If the club feel it is not safe to play or receive one additional positive test, Sale Sharks will forfeit their Gallagher Premiership Round 22 match with Worcester Warriors in order to ensure the health and safety of all concerned.

Looks like tight 5 was hard hit then with only Harrison, Morozov (LH starting at TH) and JL du Preez surviving from the Saints 23.  Langdon, Oosthuizen, JCW, VD Merwe, Wiese and Phillips all absent, plus Faf, Hammersley and van Rensburg in the backs (and Manu injured).

If we assume that the front row absentees in particular are due to positive Covid tests, then how on earth can Harrison and Morozov, who packed down alongside them last week, be free to play.  PRL or someone now needs to step in and say "no".

[DGP Wasp]

Quite a few big name omissions like JCW, De Klerk, Beaumont, Ben Curry, Hammersley, De Jager, McGuigan, McGinty, Oosthuizen, Ross, Van Rensburg, Webber & Weise. Positive tests or rotation for a potential 3 day turnaround?

16 positive Covid tests among the playing squad doesn't really allow for any level of rotation at all.  I imagine Sale are just playing who they are left with.

[baldpaul101]

JCW, De Klerk, Beaumont, Ben Curry, Hammersley, De Jager, McGuigan, McGinty, Oosthuizen, Ross, Van Rensburg, Webber & Weise

some of those are injured Ben Curry, De Jager & I think McGuigan, but yes, there seem to be a number of big names that presumably are caught up in this.