LEINSTER HEAD COACH Leo Cullen says his squad’s preparations for Saturday’s Champions Cup opener against Bath have not been too badly disrupted after the province confirmed a number of positive Covid-19 cases.
Four members of the Leinster set-up – three players and one staff member – returned positive tests during the week as the group prepared for the new Champions Cup season. However Cullen has still been able to name a strong team for the meeting with Premiership strugglers Bath tomorrow.
The three players who tested positive were tested outside the PCR testing window after presenting symptoms, and are now self-isolating. The staff member then tested positive on Thursday morning.
Leinster do not reveal or discuss the identities of any players or staff who test positive for Covid-19.
“So someone would present with a symptom, then you’re trying to piece together what potential contacts there may be and everyone else gets tested as well,” Cullen explained, speaking after the squad completed their Captain’s Run at the RDS this afternoon.
“Obviously we have our normal round of PCR testing as well but even since then we’ve been doing additional antigen tests as well, just to be extra careful, making sure that we’re trying to cover as many bases as we can.
“It’s always concerning. Every day we’re in here, every one outside in society at the moment (is the same). From a personal point of view, I’ve young kids in school and, one of my kids in particular, in the pod, there was someone out with Covid so it always feels like it’s very very close at the moment.
“A couple of guys (tested positive) this week, it is what it is, thankfully they’re okay, we just manage them through. We’ve had some cases over the last while.
I think back to last Christmas and that was quite a messy period, we lost a couple of people at that stage (to positive tests), particularly around the close contact bit as well. We’re learning all the time, how we best manage it. We do all we can about how to minimise the risk and even this week, extra testing and all the rest to make sure we’re covering all the bases as best we can.
“So yeah, it’s something that we have to deal with. There are other teams out there in a much more challenging scenario than we are, it’s fair to say.
“We’ve got a big group of players registered for Europe this year, way more than we would have had in the past so that certainly allows the teams much more flexibility as well. You know we’ve a lot of people (available) through being tested and for the most part guys are okay.
“Thankfully even the guys who are the cases, the symptoms are very very mild, generally speaking which is good.”
Even after seeing three senior players ruled out for weekend, Leinster will be heavy favourites against a Bath side who have lost all nine Premiership outings this season, and travel to Dublin with 11 Champions Cup debutants in their matchday 23.
“I think people look at Bath and they’re bottom of the (Premiership) table, haven’t won a game this year… Yeah, they’re definitely a team are maybe low on confidence, it is fair to say, from watching them play,” Cullen said.
“I thought they really put it up to Exeter a couple of weeks ago so and that’s the bit we need to make sure we’re prepared for. We can only focus so much on Bath, we’ve had an idea in terms of the personnel they have, some of the guys that are potentially missing which is probably still the case.
“So we’ve prepped well for some of the individual battles that we think will be there and you look at their team, there is still plenty of quality there, a lot of good young players that they’ve placed a lot of faith in this year. And there is always a bit of danger in that.
“I’m sure they’ll come with a bit of a nothing to lose attitude, a fresh start in a new tournament so for us we have to make sure we prepare as best as we can.”
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Bernard Jackman, Niamh Briggs, and Murray Kinsella discuss a massive weekend of Champions Cup rugby for the four Irish provinces.
