England vs Barbarians in DOUBT after boozed-up BaaBaas ‘including Chris Robshaw’ break coronavirus rules for night out
BOOZED-UP Barbarians plunged their England clash into doubt by breaking Covid rules for a night out.
The 12 rugby union stars were kicked out of their team hotel, leaving the BaaBaas struggling to field a team for Sunday’s showpiece.
Barbarians boss Vern Cotter has been ringing contacts in England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Georgia, desperately looking for players who passed a Covid-19 test this week.
But Premiership Rugby blocked any of their players being called up.
This decision being made even though stars from Saracens, Bath and Harlequins were already in the tourists’ squad.
Former England skipper Chris Robshaw was originally named in a squad of 22.
It is claimed Robshaw — who was set for a Twickenham swansong — as well as Saracens players Jackson Wray, Sean Maitland, Alex Lewington and Joel Kpoku were among the party boys out in London on Wednesday.
Those involved were kept away from the rest of the players when they returned to the hotel.
They will be tested again for the killer virus.
But furious RFU chiefs said it would ‘not be possible to guarantee these players are not infectious in the period up to and including the match’.
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The RFU added: “We are reviewing if England v Barbarians can still go ahead.
“A number of Barbarians players breached the agreed Covid code of conduct protocol by leaving their hotel bubble without permission.
“If sufficient new players with an appropriate testing history can be brought into the Barbarians camp then the game will go ahead.”