VIDEO: Boks & Lions tightlipped over possible venue changes
REACTION: Officials from both camps were coy over suggestions that there could be a dramatic late schedule change for the British and Irish Lions’ tour of South Africa.
The Conor Murray-captained B&I Lions arrived in South Africa on Monday and speculation about possible venue changes have not abated – despite both teams operating in strict bio bubbles.
They are scheduled to open their tour against the Johannesburg-based Lion at Ellis Park on Saturday (July 3), followed by encounters with the Sharks (Ellis Park) and Bulls (Loftus Versfeld (Pretoria).
The tour then moves to Cape Town for matches against South Africa A and the Stormers, before the first Test on July 24.
The second and third Tests are scheduled to be back in Gauteng – at Soweto’s Soccer City – on July 31 and August 7.
With Gauteng at the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been rumours that the second and third Tests could also be played in Cape Town – a city under less of a strain than Johannesburg.
However, neither camp was willing to give much away when questioned on Tuesday.
B&I Lions forwards coach Robin McBryde told a virtual media conference they were “well briefed” in Edinburgh, prior to their departure.
“Nobody is under any illusions in regards to how serious it is over here in South Africa,” McBryde said.
“We all have a duty and a role to play, to ensure we do everything 100 percent by the book.
“We realise how lucky we are to be given this opportunity and we have to pay due diligence to the restrictions and what we have to do.
“It is a way of life at the moment.”
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Asked about the potential venue changes, he was noncommittal.
“As far as I am concerned, those decisions aren’t mine to make,” the B&I Lions assistant coach said.
“What I do know is we had a good session this morning and it is good to get some hard work done.”
Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber repeated an earlier refrain that the tour ‘will go ahead’.
The Boks resumed training on Monday, after three of the squad tested positive for the virus at the weekend.
Wing Sibusiso Nkosi, scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies and prop Vincent Koch tested positive, leading to the entire squad being placed in temporary self-isolation.
However, they were cleared to resume normal duties in their bio bubble.
“As a Springbok side we must complement all the stakeholders involved,” Nienaber told a virtual media briefing – after naming his team to take on Georgia in a warm-up Test in Friday.
“We are in a very close-knit environment and they look after our safety.
“From the country’s perspective, I must be honest, I was purely focusing on my first Test match, purely focusing on the rugby side of things.
“From a rugby side, the way things are managed is awesome.
“They really looked after our safety and there are good protocols in place and we are making make sure that we adhere to that.”
Nienaber was adamant the tour will “definitely” go ahead, because of the environment that medical staff established for both teams.
“I am not an expert in terms of COVID and viruses, but I think they are trying to mitigate the risk of infection as much as they can and we adhere to those protocols as much as we can,” Nienaber said.
“From the Springbok side, there is not a player who doesn’t want to participate in this tour, because it is such a special tour and it only comes once every 12 years.
“Everybody is trying their utmost best to stay virus-free and COVID free, stay within the boundaries, I can’t see the tour being in jeopardy.”
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