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France rugby captain Ollivon among five new Covid cases
France captain Charles Ollivon was among five players on Monday ruled out of this weekend's Six Nations clash against Scotland after testing positive for Covid-19.
The French Rugby Federation (FFR) announced Ollivon, Cyril Baille, Peato Mauvaka, Romain Taofifenua and Brice Dulin have been withdrawn from the squad after contracting the virus.
The new cases take the total number in the France camp to 14, including coach Fabien Galthie and scrum-half Antoine Dupont, but there is no suggestion of postponing the match.
"With a view to isolation, the return home of players and staff members affected is in progress," the federation said in a statement.
"The return to collective training is set for Wednesday subject to the results of tests carried out every 24 hours," it added.
Dupont, who tested positive last week, had already been omitted from the 31-man squad for Sunday's game in Paris. The FFR also revealed that hooker Julien Marchand and centre Arthur Vincent had tested positive on Saturday.
Dupont, the Six Nations player of the season last year, is reportedly asymptomatic and could, in theory, have observed a seven-day quarantine and returned for the game at Stade de France.
The French government is increasing the length of quarantine to 10 days from Monday.
Marchand and Vincent were also left out as were prop Mohamed Haouas and winger Gabin Villiere who tested positive on Friday.
Uncapped forwards trio Gaetan Barlot, Thierry Paiva and Cyril Cazeaux were added to the 31-man squad on Monday, along with back-rower Baptiste Pesenti and full-back Thomas Ramos.
France are top of the Six Nations table after victories against Italy and Ireland. Dupont was named player of the second round for his performance in the 15-13 win in Dublin on February 14.
'WE WILL BE READY'
Team manager Raphael Ibanez said on Sunday that the French were not considering asking for a postponement of the match.
"We are entering a week of preparation and I can assure you that we will be ready to face Scotland at the Stade de France," said the former France captain.
With a host of different players joining the squad the staff, which is already without Galthie and forwards coach William Servat, faces a difficult task to ready the team to face Scotland.
"We have prepared an adaptation plan, you can trust Fabien," said Ibanez.
"If other cases turn out to be positive, we have in any case taken exceptional measures with the help of the Covid group which is watching over the France squad.
"The tests will be tripled, we will have a test every day."
Ibanez struggled to pinpoint how and when the coronavirus infiltrated the French ranks.
"It's not just the French," he said. "The English coach has been affected... and many others.
"Nobody can know how (the French contracted the virus). Was it in Ireland? Why didn't it affect the media who are invited to observe the training?
"All it takes is an infected doorknob for the contamination to spread.
"It gives us a real reason to have a great game against Scotland."
SQUAD: Forwards:
Forwards:Sebastien Bezy, Baptiste Serin, Maxime Lucu, Louis Carbonel, Matthieu Jalibert, Pierre-Louis Barassi, Gael Fickou, Jonathan Danty, Yoram Moefana, Damian Penaud, Teddy Thomas, Donovan Taofifenua, Anthony Bouthier, Thomas Ramos
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