Montpellier v Leinster Friday 17th 8pm

[LeinsterLeader]

If you put all the pieces together on this, it looks like we had/have a lot of cases and even though we were able to field a team EPCR (possibly with the urging of MontP) weren't willing to risk it. Whether they were entitled to do that or not is a moot point because they did it.

Looks like we just have to suck it up and take our medicine. Hurts though!

Maybe the players can develop a "They're all out to cheat us" attitude and use it as motivation for the rest of the season.

[munster#1]

Anyone familiar with the French Covid regulations?

I wonder is it down to a number of the remaining negative players being deemed as close contacts by the French?

What ever the reason, you would have to believe that there is a lot more to this story that has been published just yet.

[The Doc]

This strikes me as very similar to the French team who came here last year (was it Toulon) who were ruled out because players were contacts with a positive case... Even though they had tested negative and had French clearance.

If we had additional positives in the wider squad today or yesterday and some of the team were designated contacts... It would explain it.

We gained last year but lose out this. Ironically we would have preferred to have played both games

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[ronk]

They didn’t want to play. I get that in the circumstances but it’s on them.

It should be then taking the hit.

[heno]

For me it's suspicious that leinster haven't confirmed the number of cases throughout this week. Before now, they have always given the number as far as I can remember. So there must be a reason, ie its not a good number and/or it's getting worse.

We all might not agree on what the number is but I'm sure we all can agree that there is a number that once you exceed you should be the one to forfeit.

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[RoboProp]

They didn’t want to play. I get that in the circumstances but it’s on them.

It should be then taking the hit.

100% this. It stinks worse than camel shite in the summer

[curates_egg]

For me it's suspicious that leinster haven't confirmed the number of cases throughout this week. Before now, they have always given the number as far as I can remember. So there must be a reason, ie its not a good number and/or it's getting worse.

We all might not agree on what the number is but I'm sure we all can agree that there is a number that once you exceed you should be the one to forfeit.

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Both sides had cases in different rounds of testing.
Both sides had close contacts.
Both sides selected squads of players with negative tests.

It would appear Leinster did four rounds of PCR tests, compared to Montpellier’s two. We also did antigens.
So, it would appear we’re being penalised for being more thorough, rigorous and transparent.

Montpellier were the first to pass the threshold for cases, set in last season’s rules. So, if any side were to be disqualified, based on previously enumerated rules, it should be them.

If there is a rule that Leinster broke, EPRC should publish it.
If not, Leinster should sue, and ensure we at least get financial compensation for this farce.

* If Leinster’s solicitors want to use my arguments, all I ask in return is the new European jersey and two free tickets whenever I’m home.

[alanair]

Anyone familiar with the French Covid regulations?

I wonder is it down to a number of the remaining negative players being deemed as close contacts by the French?

What ever the reason, you would have to believe that there is a lot more to this story that has been published just yet.

Ah the French … masters of making it up as they go along

[alanair]

For me it's suspicious that leinster haven't confirmed the number of cases throughout this week. Before now, they have always given the number as far as I can remember. So there must be a reason, ie its not a good number and/or it's getting worse.

We all might not agree on what the number is but I'm sure we all can agree that there is a number that once you exceed you should be the one to forfeit.

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Id be more inclined to believe Leinster ( and the Irish Health system) than the french

[heno]

For me it's suspicious that leinster haven't confirmed the number of cases throughout this week. Before now, they have always given the number as far as I can remember. So there must be a reason, ie its not a good number and/or it's getting worse.

We all might not agree on what the number is but I'm sure we all can agree that there is a number that once you exceed you should be the one to forfeit.

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Id be more inclined to believe Leinster ( and the Irish Health system) than the french

I'm not specifically doubting what anyone has said. I'm pointing at what hasn't been said.

If Montpellier had 5 cases Monday and still 5 cases Thurs. But Leinster had 5 cases Monday and 30 by Thurs, who would you pick to forfeit?

It would be nice if leinster would give us those numbers so we could put the idea to bed or not.

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[Dexter]

I work for an Irish entity which is now a subsidiary of a French group... And I fully endorse the previous 2 posts - before the last one.
Slippery and untrustworthy...FACT!!

[hugonaut]

For me it's suspicious that leinster haven't confirmed the number of cases throughout this week. Before now, they have always given the number as far as I can remember. So there must be a reason, ie its not a good number and/or it's getting worse.

We all might not agree on what the number is but I'm sure we all can agree that there is a number that once you exceed you should be the one to forfeit.

Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk

Both sides had cases in different rounds of testing.
Both sides had close contacts.
Both sides selected squads of players with negative tests.

It would appear Leinster did four rounds of PCR tests, compared to Montpellier’s two. We also did antigens.
So, it would appear we’re being penalised for being more thorough, rigorous and transparent.

Montpellier were the first to pass the threshold for cases, set in last season’s rules. So, if any side were to be disqualified, based on previously enumerated rules, it should be them.

If there is a rule that Leinster broke, EPRC should publish it.
If not, Leinster should sue, and ensure we at least get financial compensation for this farce.

I'm like you, I don't follow the logic of the organisers to give Montpellier a walkover. Both sets of teams have Covid in the wider squad, both were able to name teams to play. Leinster's team were given a clean bill of health *today* by Public Health Ireland – not by the IRFU, by the state – to travel to France to play after undergoing a whopping amount of testing.

Of course we wanted to play the game. We're a European monster and Montpellier ... aren't. We've played each other seven times in the last decade and we dominate the fixture.

12.12.20 Montpellier 14 - 35 Leinster
14.10 17 Leinster 24 - 17 Montpellier
20.01.18 Montpellier 14 - 23 Leinster
23.10.16 Montpellier 22 - 16 Leinster
13.01.17 Leinster 57 - 3 Montpellier
12.11.11 Montpellier 16 - 16 Leinster
21.01.12 Leinster 25 - 3 Montpellier

Aggregate:
Leinster - 5 wins [3 home wins, 2 away wins] | 196 points
Montpellier - 1 win [1 home win] | 89 points
1 match drawn [@ Montpellier]

Average result:
Leinster 28 - 13 Montpellier [overall]
Leinster 35 - 8 Montpellier [Leinster @ home]
Montpellier 17 - 23 Leinster [Montpellier @ home]

Mindless stuff from the EPCR. F*cking chumps.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Why was the game not delayed till Sunday to allow more space?? If the ground was waterlogged, they would have delayed it. If we get through, the boys will be in a super bubble in 2022 to avoid this happening again. And no-one can go to weddings until we're in the off season!

[Dexter]

For me it's suspicious that leinster haven't confirmed the number of cases throughout this week. Before now, they have always given the number as far as I can remember. So there must be a reason, ie its not a good number and/or it's getting worse.

We all might not agree on what the number is but I'm sure we all can agree that there is a number that once you exceed you should be the one to forfeit.

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Montpellier never gave any updates this week and their announced team is suspiciously understrength. Suspiciousness all over the place.
Leinster have been penalized for being more transparent than Montpellier, it looks like to me.

[Blueberry]

For me it's suspicious that leinster haven't confirmed the number of cases throughout this week. Before now, they have always given the number as far as I can remember. So there must be a reason, ie its not a good number and/or it's getting worse.

We all might not agree on what the number is but I'm sure we all can agree that there is a number that once you exceed you should be the one to forfeit.

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Ok I see your logic but if as we speak there isn't a clear definition in the rules of the competition then it's just arbitrary nonsense from the EPRC........

Bottom line is we had 23 players who had been given a clean bill of health happy to travel and play. The virus is endemic in our society so anyone doing anything may or may not be a 'close contact', it's all over the place so if you want to be belt and braces test the players and if clear they can play, it's hardly rocket science.

It's about consistency as well - Wasps as far as I understand it had an outbreak of Covid in their camp and had to change their team accordingly and presumably the wider squad could all have been deemed close contacts even those testing negative. Why is this game any different ? I can't see any difference !!

The EPRC have deprived fans of a game (and christ we could all do with the distraction) and made an utter mockery of the tournament again.

We will never know but French team leaning on EPRC and pulling the right strings ends up with horse manure decision for us..............

It really boils down to 'did we break a rule' if not then it's just manure.

[blockhead]

Que sera sera.
The medical panel said, dont play the game.
The EPRC said it was our fault.
A draw would have been more equitable.
Will be a difficult task now to win the thing but not impossible, we beat the All Blacks.

[RichardP]

As a Munster supporter I think Leinster has been harshly and unfairly treated on this one. Last week Wasps were allowed to play despite having had positive Covid tests among their players on the morning of the game so this seems inconsistent to say the least. A fairer conclusion, even if still unsatisfactory, would have been to call it a draw, either 0-0 or 14-14 if there are 28 points to be awarded (as in this case to Montpelier.
I hope Leinster can appeal this successfully.

[riocard911]

Good synopsis from Murray K about how the whole thing went down:

https://www.the42.ie/leinster-montpelli ... 0-Dec2021/

I particularly liked the final sentence:

"For now, though, there is anger."

[Ruckedtobits]

It's all about the "variant". Apparently the MontP line throughout the "consultations" was that the Omnicom" variant was clearly more transmissible but no MontP players were diagnosed with it. Whereas Leinster players were obviously suffering withe the rapidly spreading new variant and therefore were a significant risk to all MontP players. (Summary of discussion on French Sports channel tonight - but no sources quoted).

This is absolutely standard French behaviour in political terms and Leinster should throw the (legal) bookshop at them.

[Blue Man]

This is f0cking bullsh1t.
Massive testing and logistics effort to ensure safety, transparency and fulfill the fixture, by Leinster. Then, a pointless committee goes against Public Health Ireland, a body that was involved throughout the process, and makes an unintelligible decision.
Mick D needs to call the lawyers in