France captain Antoine Dupont is among the Toulouse players who have tested positive for Covid-19.


 Conchat has been assured of a safe passage to the knockout stages of this season's Champions Cup following the organisers' decision to give Cardiff a walkover win against champions Toulouse.

And Covid-hit Toulouse has confirmed that France captain Antoine Dupont has tested positive for the virus.

Connacht started the week conceding that he would need at least one losing bonus point against Stade to score a knockout for the first time in their history, but a flurry of Covid cases in the Toulouse squad forced their game to be cancelled. Done and knock-on. The effect is that Andy Friend's squad can no longer be caught in the standings.

"With the cancellation of Toulouse/Cardiff, we are now confirmed in the Round of 16," Connacht said on his social media channels.

"For the first time ever, we have reached the knockout stage of the Heineken Champions Cup! A huge achievement for our players and management, and we are not done yet."

Toulouse/Cardiff today became the ninth game in this season's competition where a side has been awarded a win or a match has been declared a draw due to COVID-19 issues.

The record five-time champions are seventh in Pool B with a Welsh region win and a result should be in their favor if they want to reach the last 16.

"Following a meeting of an independent match risk assessment committee, the EPCR has been advised that the Champions Cup, scheduled for tomorrow (Saturday, 22 January) at Stade Ernest-Wallen, the Round 4 fixture between Stade Toulouse and Cardiff Rugby, should not go ahead. The European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) said.

Cardiff Rugby are therefore awarded matches in Pool A according to the tournament rules 28–0, five match points.

Toulouse president Didier Lacroix said on Friday that the club would "take legal action" on the decision.

Lacroix claimed his side had enough fit players to complete the fixture with EPCR rules stipulating that clubs must comply with the coronavirus rules of their domestic leagues.

"We will take legal action against this decision because we are seeing a complete lack of respect," Lacroix told reporters.

"We can't let this injustice pass," he added during the 40-minute monologue.

Toulouse are seventh in Pool B and need results, including English champions Harlequin and Wasps' trip to Munster, to go their side to reach April's knock-out stages.

Their fixture at Wasps was declared a 0–0 draw in December due to travel restrictions between France and Britain and they lost to the English side last weekend.

The French League (LNR), which run the Top 14 and ProD2, have claimed that the EPCR broke its own COVID-19 rules in canceling the game.

According to the LNR, the EPCR rules state clubs adopt guidelines from their domestic leagues and the French professional rugby body said Toulouse had enough fit squad members to play the game.

"The LNR condemns a reprehensible and completely baseless decision," the LNR said.

“The decision of EPCR is in violation of its own rules. This is incomprehensible and brings serious bias on the fairness of the club and the competition."

Toulouse club president Lacroix has since confirmed that France captain Antoine Dupont is among the players who have tested positive for COVID-19.