Sale v Worcester postponed, Gloucester v Northampton off after positive Covid-19 tests

Sale's last game was at Northampton on Tuesday

Sale's Premiership game with Worcester has been postponed until Wednesday after 16 positive Covid-19 tests, while Northampton have called off their match against Gloucester.

The two fixtures were due to be played at 15:00 BST on Sunday as part of the final round of six simultaneous games.

Northampton, who met Sale on Tuesday, have forfeited their game as a number of their players have to self-isolate.

Gloucester will get a 20-0 win and will finish seventh in the table.

Northampton will finish eighth unless ninth-placed Worcester can win by more than 91 points at Sale on Wednesday.

Fourth-placed Sale need a win to guarantee a place in the play-offs.

A total of 21 people from three different clubs were positive in the latest round of testing, 18 of them players.

Premiership Rugby said the decision regarding the Sale v Worcester game had been taken in consultation with both clubs and Public Health England, with extra tests now scheduled at Sale on Tuesday.

"As this match has such a critical bearing on deciding the Gallagher Premiership Rugby champions, we wanted to do everything we could to play it," said chief executive Darren Childs.

"The team at Premiership Rugby has been working around the clock to come up with a solution and we'd like to thank Public Health England for their co-operation."

Neither club will be able to register any new players for the rearranged match and an independent audit of the track and trace processes at Sale will be undertaken in the run-up to the game.

Sale 'in a position to fulfil' fixture

Sale say that despite the positive tests all their players and staff are "currently well".

"Sale Sharks have stringently followed PRL and RFU protocols throughout the pandemic in order to contain the spread of the virus," a club statement said.

"The club is therefore in a position to fulfil its Gallagher Premiership Round 22 fixture with Worcester Warriors, scheduled for this Sunday at 3.00pm.

"However, after Worcester Warriors expressed concerns regarding the safety of the fixture taking place on Sunday, we sought advice from Public Health England, and Sale Sharks, Worcester Warriors and Premiership Rugby have decided to postpone the match until Wednesday 7th October 2020 to allow further Covid-19 testing to take place prior to the fixture."

Under the Premiership's rules for the restart of the league after the pandemic, any side unable to fulfil a fixture will forfeit a 20-0 loss to their opponents.

Sale are one of four clubs vying for three remaining Premiership semi-final places - the Sharks are fourth, level on points with fifth-placed Bristol, but with a superior points difference compared to the Bears.

They are a point behind third-placed Bath and one point further behind second-placed Wasps.

The four remaining fixtures in the Premiership are still due to be played at 15:00 BST on Sunday - meaning Sale will know what result they have to achieve to make the top four.

On Friday, Worcester said in a statement: "The sole criterion for deciding whether a match can take place in the current unprecedented and worrying circumstances is the safety of officials and players and staff of both clubs and minimises the risk of anyone contracting and spreading this killer disease.

"Warriors would always prefer the outcome of a match to be decided on the pitch and will do so provided we are satisfied that all the Covid-19 protocols and procedures have been followed and no health risk is posed to our players and staff."

Saints' front row further depleted

Northampton's recent injury problems have been particularly acute in the front row - the club signed Gloucester's Alex Seville on loan in order to have cover for their Heineken Champions Cup quarter-final with Exeter last month.

And with players forced to self-isolate Saints did not have enough with the required experience up front to play Gloucester.

"This has acutely impacted our front row - an area where we were already significantly depleted owing to a series of injuries," said Northampton chief executive Mark Darbon.

"Of the 14 front-row players in our squad, we are left with just one tight-head prop and one hooker available to be included in the matchday squad.

"As soon as we were aware of the situation, we asked for permission to register loan players beyond the normal deadline in order that we could attempt to complete the fixture. We were advised that this dispensation will not be granted.

"We are extremely disappointed that our season has ended this way; an outbreak of coronavirus at another Premiership club has left us with no viable option other than to forfeit our game.

"So far, none of our players are symptomatic and, where required, continue to follow all guidance to isolate."