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The Springboks canceled the training session scheduled for Sunday, as a precaution, after the positive results of three of the tests for Covid-19 carried out when the team gathered on Saturday, SA Rugby reported on Sunday. in a press release. The management immediately placed the group in isolation as a precaution.
"Adding that a decision would be taken"
soon
"concerning the program for the next few days.
Scrum-half Herschel Jantjies, mainstay Vincent Koch and winger S'bu Nkosi are the three players who tested positive. South African rugby director Rassie Erasmus, however, said he didn't think it was serious business and that it wouldn't impact future tests. “
I don't think it's a big worry, but we want everyone to be as safe as possible. We have followed strict protocols and everyone is isolated at the moment. It's disturbing but it's happened to other rugby teams in the last few months and we have enough players in our camp to continue our games. There is no threat to testing against Georgia (July 2 and 9) or the Lions tour
», Assured Erasmus during a press conference.
None of the three players show any symptoms.
“
If they are positive it is because they were unlucky, not something they could have done wrong.
Jantjies and Nkosi had trained with the Boks in recent weeks in Bloemfontein while Koch arrived this weekend from England club Saracens.
All South African players, who arrived at their Johannesburg hotel on Saturday, were tested for the coronavirus and were not allowed to enter their rooms unless they tested negative.
The Springboks are in a bio-secure hotel where they are the only residents.
The Springboks haven't played a game since their world title in October 2019
Due to the health crisis, the Springboks have not played a single game since their fall 2019 world title in Japan. They are supposed to return to the field on Friday in Pretoria against Georgia, the first preparation match for the tour of the British and Irish Lions, which they have to face on three occasions: July 24 in Cape Town, then July 31 and August 7 in Johannesburg. .
The Lions team - a selection bringing together the best English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish players every four years - is due to fly to South Africa on Sunday, the day after its victory against Japan (28-10) in Edinburgh , during which she notably lost her captain, Welsh second row Alun Wyn Jones, injured and forfeited for the tour.
Irish scrum-half Conor Murray was named captain in stride.
South Africa is in the throes of a third wave of COVID-19 infections, caused by the Delta variant.
The President of the Republic, Cyril Ramaphosa, is to address the country this Sunday and is expected to announce stricter containment measures.
