Munster now the guinea pigs after coronavirus finally breaches rugby's bubble

 

It had to happen sooner or later within Irish professional rugby, but the timing of a positive test for Covid-19 within the Munster training squad has come at a crucial moment in the province’s preparations for the season restart.

The Guinness PRO14’s truncated 2019-20 campaign resumes a week Saturday with a meeting between Munster and defending champions and unbeaten league leaders Leinster, so head coach Johann van Graan could have done without the cancellation of yesterday’s training session following the news that an academy player within the wider training squad tested positive for the novel coronavirus and began self-isolating last Sunday the moment he developed symptoms. Or that one of his senior players and five other academy members have also begun self-isolating having been identified by the province as potential close contacts.