The Six Nations organisers meet in Paris on Monday to discuss contingency plans after fears over the cross-border spread of the coronavirus forced the postponement of next Saturday’s match between Ireland and Italy in Dublin and put in doubt England’s trip to Rome on the final weekend. Ireland’s head coach, Andy Farrell, has an extra week to prepare for his side’s final match against the leaders, France, in Paris, but he is not sure if it will go ahead. “We don’t know,” he said. “All we can do is prepare properly for it.”
Ireland’s match against Italy is unlikely to be rescheduled before October. The Aviva Stadium will be unavailable from the middle of May because three Euro 2020 football matches are being staged at the ground and September is a rest month for the country’s national squad following the summer tour to Australia. “We want to play the game,” said Farrell. “A few dates are being bounced around but they are just ideas and we really do not have a clue.”
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