{"id":23946,"date":"2021-11-12T15:34:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-12T20:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=23946"},"modified":"2021-11-13T09:39:18","modified_gmt":"2021-11-13T14:39:18","slug":"ireland-report-potential-positive-case-of-covid-ahead-of-all-blacks-clash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=23946","title":{"rendered":"Ireland Report ‘Potential Positive Case’ Of Covid Ahead Of All Blacks Clash"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Players and staff are having further tests but defense coach Simon Easterby said there was no danger of Saturday\u2019s fixture being cancelled (PA Images)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ireland have reported a \u201cpotential positive case\u201d of coronavirus ahead of Saturday\u2019s autumn international against New Zealand in Dublin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further testing has been undertaken to determine whether the result was a false positive, according to a statement released by the Irish Rugby Football Union.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All members of the squad and management team have undergone additional lateral flow and PCR testing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ireland defense coach Simon Easterby said back-up players had been put on standby but, as of Friday afternoon, no one been ruled out of the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve retested today and the important thing is we get clarity,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs you know where you can have false positives and we have to make sure we give those guys an opportunity, give the respect to them, and it\u2019s important we allow that process to happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey are part of the game, we\u2019re not the only team across the last couple of weeks who\u2019ve had to deal with Covid issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe important thing is we stay focused and don\u2019t allow the little things that happen derail us, that we stay focused.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

England captain Owen Farrell \u2013 son of Ireland head coach Andy Farrell \u2013 last week missed his country\u2019s win over Tonga following a positive which later turned out to be false.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ireland, who thumped Japan 60-5 last weekend, have won just two of 32 previous meetings with the All Blacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the hosts\u2019 captain\u2019s run at the Aviva Stadium, Easterby said there was no danger of the fixture being called off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf it wasn\u2019t challenging already, it gets more challenging when you deal with certain things that are outside your control,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut, I guess that\u2019s part of the challenge, the game certainly won\u2019t run all our way, it won\u2019t run smoothly all the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve had a couple of potholes in the road today, but we have had a really good team run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a bit of clarity needed about the players who didn\u2019t make that team run, but hopefully in the next couple of hours we\u2019ll have that, and we can look forward to tomorrow and put today behind us.\u201d<\/p>\n

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