Six Nations 2020: French wobbles but SRU hopeful Scotland v France game will go ahead despite coronavirus fears

Reports from France have cast doubt over this Sunday's Six Nations match between Scotland and France at BT Murrayfield as fears over the coronavirus outbreak continue to rise.

French fans at Murrayfield. Sunday's match is now under threat due to the coronavirus outbreak. Picture: SRU/SNS

According to respected French sports paper Midi-Olympique, a French Federation of Rugby source has said the match in Edinburgh is in doubt. A World Rugby meeting in Paris today will discuss the future of this year's championship, with Ireland's match against Italy this weekend already postponed.

“The threat is more important about Scotland-France than France-Ireland [on the closing weekend]", the French federation source is quoted as saying.

The Scotsman understands that the SRU still anticipates that Sunday's match with the Grand Slam-chasing French will take place but await a decision from today's Paris meeting and will follow guidance given by government and public health agencies.

An already scheduled World Rugby gathering in the French capital will now discuss today if more alterations are needed to the final two rounds of the Championship, with the 7 March meeting between Ireland and Italy in Dublin the only match postponed due to the global COVID-19 outbreak as yet.

The Irish RFU made the decision to postpone following advice given by Simon Harris, Ireland's health minister, who had expressed his concerns about the game going ahead due to deaths from the new coronavirus in Italy, the European country that has been hit hardest by the outbreak.

The first case of coronavirus has been confirmed in Scotland after a patient was diagnosed having recently travelled from Italy. The patient, from Tayside, tested positive and is receiving treatment in isolation in hospital.

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