Rugby

More Covid issues for France as Villière and Haouas test positive

Les Bleus are due to face Scotland in the Six Nations on February 28th

France’s Mohamed Haouas is among three players to test positive for Covid-19. Photo: James Crombie/Inpho

Sat Feb 20 2021 - 13:59

France wing Gabin Villière and prop Mohamed Haouas have tested positive for Covid-19, taking the tally of positive cases in the squad to three.

The scrumhalf Antoine Dupont had tested positive on Friday, days after head coach Fabien Galthié, forwards coach William Servat and another staff member returned positive tests.

France are scheduled to play Scotland in the Six Nations at the Stade de France on February 28th and there will be concern that further positive tests may be returned. All the members of the squad will be tested again on Sunday.

France’s health minister Olivier Veran announced on Thursday that anyone testing positive for Covid-19 would need to isolate for 10 days, instead of seven previously, as France looks to contain the emergence of a variant that first appeared in Britain.

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There was concern that Dupont may test positive. He spent time in close contact with Galthié at an awards ceremony broadcast online on Monday, with neither of them wearing a mask.

Dupont, 24, was named player of the championship after last year’s Six Nations, when France finished in second place. Les Bleus lead the table after two wins from two games, with Dupont setting up four tries in the opening match against Italy.

The French federation (FFR) has been investigating a possible contamination from the rugby sevens team, who had been taking part in training sessions, but concluded that it could not be proven yet that they were the source of the contamination. – Guardian