SCOTLAND face the prospect of playing France in the Six Nations next week without any of their Premiership stars.
Gregor Townsend’s side saw their round three clash against Les Bleus postponed after a Covid-19 outbreak in the French camp.
The fixture has been rescheduled for Friday March 26 – six days after the tournament was due to finish on Super Saturday.
And the 8pm kick-off in Paris crucially falls outside the international window – when clubs are obliged to release their players so they can represent their countries.
English clubs are thought to be particularly frustrated by a clear fixture clash between the delayed Six Nations game and Exeter’s trip to Gloucester that starts at 7.45pm on the same night.
World Rugby Regulation 9 means Premiership teams are well within their rights to hang onto their Scots but talks are ongoing about whether they will be released to play in return for compensation.
Captain Stuart Hogg is one of three Scots at Premiership champs Exeter Chiefs along with second-rows Jonny Gray and Sam Skinner.
British and Irish Lion Sean Maitland will also have to be released as Saracens – despite their salary-cap demotion to the Championship ahead of this season – are still part of umbrella group Premier Rugby Limited.
Other players sweating on their involvement in Scotland’s postponed game include Gloucester centre Chris Harris and Harlequins scrum-half Scott Steele.
A PRL spokesman said: “The Premiership clubs are considering a request from the Six Nations. We are continuing to discuss with Six Nations the many issues this is causing us and hope we can resolve them.
“The Premiership has important games scheduled for the weekend in question and we have commitments to partners, broadcasters and fans having just released a large number of players for the tournament.”
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Scotland were due to play France away on Sunday February 28 but the game was axed just TWO days before.
A total of 11 French players returned positive tests for coronavirus causing the game to be called off.
It later emerged France coach Fabien Galthie – who rocked the pre-tournament favourites by returning the first positive – left the squad’s bubble to watch his son play on the opening weekend of the tournament.
However, the French federation cleared Galthie of any wrongdoing after an internal investigation into the outbreak.
