Team for Tonga

[Mikey Brown]

Lol. Bizarre exchange about 3 or 4 minutes in when asked who the fly-half options are. Cockerill dodging the question about Ford a little bit, understandably there's no point speculating about that yet, but the questioner doesn't let it go. Don't get a chance to hear RC's response whether Furbank is backup 10 but he must be? He also can't reasonably come out and say "who f**king cares, it's only Tonga?"



edit: okay we get there eventually. Furbank has been training at 10.

[Mr Mwenda]

Is this first known example of covid jumping species from human to test match animal?

Excellent.

[Which Tyler]

I would assume that they can keep testing him until they get two negatives in a row, and claim he's all better? I don't know if it'll be the obligatory 10 days. Could be interesting if it is, I suspect we see Ford being called back in at that point though.

Assuming they're taking the official line, rather than he internal government line...

If he's positive with an LFT, then he has to self-isolate until he's had a PCR. If that PCR is negative, then he's allowed out to play.; if positive, then he's got 10 days from the date of the first negative.
If he's positive with a PCR, then he has to self-isolate for 10 days. Future PCR results may be interesting, and you even assume that the first was a false positive - but it doesn't let him out of his room.

Any double-vaccinated contacts of Farrel's are allowed out, but have to take a daily LFT
Any unvaccinated contacts of Farrel's have to self-isolate, pending a negative PCR (at least, I think a negative PCR lets them back out)

So we might lose Farrell and Slade to this single positive case.

[Mikey Brown]

I think RC said it was a PCR and he's isolating, but seems to be under the impression he could still play. So...

[Danno]

Given that everyone else has returned all negative tests, it suggests that either our glorious leader has got a false positive (not impossible given the volume of tests that they do) or the vaccines are doing their job and no-one else is affected (although we should probably pull Henry Slade, just to be on the safe side). I think the only possibility to call it off is if anyone else returns a positive test tomorrow, showing that it's spread elsewhere in the camp.

If it's not a false positive, then that surely rules him out of Australia as well though, no? Two tests with Curry as captain and Smith given a midfield with a runner in it?! Seems like a dream and one which could continue if we grind the Aussies into the dirt and realise that we can win without a captain that shouts at referees.

Puja

Lalalalalalala not listening to you.

Seems fair.

Puja

It's the hope that kills you.

[Puja]

Lalalalalalala not listening to you.

Seems fair.

Puja

It's the hope that kills you.

Every time.

Puja

[badback]

All we need now is Dombrandt at 8.

[Peej]

I would assume that they can keep testing him until they get two negatives in a row, and claim he's all better? I don't know if it'll be the obligatory 10 days. Could be interesting if it is, I suspect we see Ford being called back in at that point though.

Assuming they're taking the official line, rather than he internal government line...

If he's positive with an LFT, then he has to self-isolate until he's had a PCR. If that PCR is negative, then he's allowed out to play.; if positive, then he's got 10 days from the date of the first negative.
If he's positive with a PCR, then he has to self-isolate for 10 days. Future PCR results may be interesting, and you even assume that the first was a false positive - but it doesn't let him out of his room.

Any double-vaccinated contacts of Farrel's are allowed out, but have to take a daily LFT
Any unvaccinated contacts of Farrel's have to self-isolate, pending a negative PCR (at least, I think a negative PCR lets them back out)

So we might lose Farrell and Slade to this single positive case.

They said the rest of the squad had taken PCR tests, so if negative Slade will be free to play. Sounds as if they are going to wait until tomorrow (and another test) to make a call about whether Owen plays or not

[FKAS]

No Farrell and no Slade. Smith must be grinning to himself at the thought of a Manu/Joseph midfield and him at 10.

To be fair to Cockers asking him whether Ford is going to get called up is pointless. Not up to him he's just there to beat into shape any forwards that are selected.

[Scrumhead]

No Farrell and no Slade. Smith must be grinning to himself at the thought of a Manu/Joseph midfield and him at 10.

To be fair to Cockers asking him whether Ford is going to get called up is pointless. Not up to him he's just there to beat into shape any forwards that are selected.

Joseph isn’t in the squad. I assume you mean Joe Marchant?

[Gloskarlos]

For us mere mortals its 10 days isolation from first day of symptoms rather than first lateral flow. If no symptoms then that's a different kettle. Just for clarity.

[FKAS]

No Farrell and no Slade. Smith must be grinning to himself at the thought of a Manu/Joseph midfield and him at 10.

To be fair to Cockers asking him whether Ford is going to get called up is pointless. Not up to him he's just there to beat into shape any forwards that are selected.

Joseph isn’t in the squad. I assume you mean Joe Marchant?

That's the one. No idea why I typed Joseph.

[Stom]

I hope it is a false positive. But that he gets a second false positive. That would be the best of both worlds: he can’t have infected anyone else, but the rugby gods smile on us.

[Mikey Brown]

I'm guessing if he is out it's 10. Smith 22. Furbank 23. Marchant? Or does Furbank jump straight in having been training there all week? Seems odd the idea of him in the starting 10 shirt, even for this game. Does Furbank kick or would Slade have to take over?

[jngf]

► Show Spoiler

Lol. Bizarre exchange about 3 or 4 minutes in when asked who the fly-half options are. Cockerill dodging the question about Ford a little bit, understandably there's no point speculating about that yet, but the questioner doesn't let it go. Don't get a chance to hear RC's response whether Furbank is backup 10 but he must be? He also can't reasonably come out and say "who f**king cares, it's only Tonga?"



edit: okay we get there eventually. Furbank has been training at 10.

Ha ha - Cockerhill comes across in the conference as akin to a Tory Junior Minister sent out by the boss to persuade the assembled journos that that that colour called blue is really white (which to be fair many would happily print )

[Puja]

Given that they said he would have further PCR tests today to rule him in or out, shouldn't we have heard something by now? And to what do we credit this absence of news - does it mean he's going to play as normal and Eddie's going to be smirking at reporters saying, "I never said he wasn't going to be playing, mate. It's you that's said that," or is it keeping the loss of our superweapon quiet until we are absolutely 100% certain that he can't play?

Puja

[jngf]

I’m slightly reminded of the point that Moody took over the captaincy from Borthwick of which Farrell arguably is the reincarnation of in back form

[Danno]

Given that they said he would have further PCR tests today to rule him in or out, shouldn't we have heard something by now? And to what do we credit this absence of news - does it mean he's going to play as normal and Eddie's going to be smirking at reporters saying, "I never said he wasn't going to be playing, mate. It's you that's said that," or is it keeping the loss of our superweapon quiet until we are absolutely 100% certain that he can't play?

Puja

As someone else said, keep testing until there's two negatives in a row (or the back of his throat is too raw to persist)

[loudnconfident]

As long as they don't cancel the game... About to set off for Twickers...

[Puja]

As long as they don't cancel the game... About to set off for Twickers...

You'd like to hope they'd've announced it if they were going to cancel. Worst case scenario, we'll be missing a few players.

Puja

[Stom]

As long as they don't cancel the game... About to set off for Twickers...

You'd like to hope they'd've announced it if they were going to cancel. Worst case scenario, we'll be missing a few players.

Puja

But still nothing? That’s not a good look…

[Mikey Brown]

Haha. I thought you meant cancel it because who would even want to see England play without Farrell.

Almost wouldn’t surprise me.

[Puja]

As long as they don't cancel the game... About to set off for Twickers...

You'd like to hope they'd've announced it if they were going to cancel. Worst case scenario, we'll be missing a few players.

Puja

But still nothing? That’s not a good look…

Nothing to me suggests that it's either that just Farrell is out and they want to keep the news to the last minute or Farrell is in and they're enjoying trolling people. If it was a widespread outbreak, then they'd've announced.

Puja

[Digby]

Even we wouldn't let people stand cheek by jowl crammed onto trains during a pandemic when we knew the match would be cancelled would we? Or has Matt Hanock got a new job running events at Twickers?

[p/d]

Just get on with it and tell us who is playing. Nobody cares if Farrell is out ffs!!!

This is the kind of bollox that gave us finishers and 8 vice captains. Tossers