Dublin4 wrote: ↑Wed Feb 26, 2020 11:46 am
The authorities down here made a complete ballix of the "decision" to call off the Italy match yesterday.
The Chief Medical Oflicer of the Department of Health announced it and the Minister went on tea time news to the same effect without anyone telling the IRFU. Nobody thought through if this applied to other 6N games or even the France v Ireland game the following week? Nobody thought through did this apply to the u20s or the women?
Nobody thought through - could you play it behind closed doors just on telly?
What a screw up.
Meanwhile 11 flights from Italy arrive in Dublin Airport today. Cead mile failte.
Typical Ireland
Knee jerk reaction followed by a trip round town on a bandwagon.
Was just wondering how much this is actually going to achieve. There are no travel restrictions imposed from Italy yet and assuming that doesn't change how many of the Italian fans who likely already have their flights and accommodation paid for aren't now going to travel? Personally if i'd already paid €500 for a trip to see the return fixture I'd still be trying to make the most of a weekend in Rome if the game was cancelled.
I can see how cancelling local games, like they've done in Italy, could help as people just won't go, but when people have had trips planned for months I can't see that being the case.
On a more serious note, some back of a fag packet maths suggests to me the game is worth around €4 million to the IRFU (50k seats at an average of €80 a ticket), which would translate to a fairly significant financial hit if a cancellation isn't covered by insurance in some way shape or form.
The difference in the 2 scenarios is the Italians would be traveling to a country which is currently free of the virus vs Ulster supporters would be traveling to a region where the virus exists and there is the possibility of infection!
Have thought about it a bit more and think the decision was a bit of a joke. If it's not safe for Italians to come here put a travel ban in place, if it is let the match happen. This is the worst of both worlds, no rugby and 5000 Italians who'll probably spend a weekend in Dublin anyway. Done in a bit of a ham fisted way too. Reckon the health minister just fancied getting his mug on TV before there's another election down there.
I agree. Ham fisted.
Better decision would have been to play behind closed doors and avoid the "mass gathering" of people that worried the authorities.
Now there is no alternative date available.
I wonder how much of this is tied in possible insurance claims. The IRFU wanted a "directive" that they could not play. I fancy this was to trigger a claim.
So Billy not back with England due to the virus yet training with Saracens... doesn’t make sense. Unless there is a travel ban there seems little point calling off the game.
Cockatrice wrote: ↑Wed Mar 04, 2020 9:17 am
So Billy not back with England due to the virus yet training with Saracens... doesn’t make sense. Unless there is a travel ban there seems little point calling off the game.
Alliance Park is a good place to self isolate.
Volunteer at an animal sanctuary; it will fill you with joy , despair, but most of all love, unconditional love of the animals.
Big Neville Southall
Cockatrice wrote: ↑Wed Mar 04, 2020 9:17 am
So Billy not back with England due to the virus yet training with Saracens... doesn’t make sense. Unless there is a travel ban there seems little point calling off the game.
Alliance Park is a good place to self isolate.
Billy has a broken arm. Mako is the one in quarantine.
Snipe Watson wrote: ↑Wed Mar 04, 2020 2:46 pm
[quote="big mervyn" post_id=692592 time=<a href="tel:1583327122">1583327122</a> user_id=976]
[quote=Cockatrice post_id=692588 time=<a href="tel:1583309855">1583309855</a> user_id=13]
So Billy not back with England due to the virus yet training with Saracens... doesn’t make sense. Unless there is a travel ban there seems little point calling off the game.
Alliance Park is a good place to self isolate.
[/quote]
Billy has a broken arm. Mako is the one in quarantine.
[/quote]