While in most of the Top 14, we are holding our breath as the weekend approaches by crossing our fingers at the time of the PCR tests, the horizon seems to emerge on the side of Racing. The Ile-de-France club, which was one of the very first affected by the Omicron wave the week before Christmas, is starting to gain peace of mind. Two days from receiving Clermont at Paris La Défense Arena, during a crucial match for them, the Ciel et Blancs have indeed recorded no additional positive cases.
“And the more it will go, the less we will have, underlines the manager Laurent Travers. Once you’ve caught the virus, you can train and play for three months without being tested, as long as you obviously have no symptoms. It is the rule. In recent weeks, around 50% of the workforce has been affected. So many elements now stripped of protocols until next April. What to see coming.
“We must face up”
The Racingmen, who are all vaccinated, are even starting to record some returns among players isolated due to Covid-19. And they will need it. Because the setback in Lyon (37-35), last Sunday, during a match he thought he would hold, kept the Ile-de-France club in a very uncomfortable situation, 10th in the Top 14.
“There is no serenity, adds Laurent Travers. It would be lacking in humility to say the opposite. We can see how far we have to go if we want to qualify. We are not looking for excuses. The inventory is complicated. There are long-term injuries (Editor’s note: like scrum half-backs Nolann Le Garrec, operated on a shoulder, and Iribaren, on a knee), other injuries that have been added and now the Covid. It’s life. We must stand up. We know we are not immune to anything, week following week. “