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From his chilly base almost 13 000km away from his country of birth, rugby’s Jannes Kirsten will be more acutely aware than many active sportspeople this weekend about the deepening impact on his trade - particularly - of the coronavirus.
The former Affies, UP Tuks and Bulls utility forward learnt on Thursday that his Exeter Chiefs side, defending champions of the prestigious European Champions Cup, will not be able to fulfil Sunday’s intended attractive, 2020/21 second-round fixture against last season’s semi-finalists Toulouse (the French outfit boasting Springbok hot property and bang-in-form Cheslin Kolbe).
An outbreak of the virus in the Exeter camp has put paid to the clash, meaning the outcome will have to be determined by a "Match Result Resolution Committee", with a strong likelihood the Chiefs will be issued with a 0-28 defeat - a significant blow in a competition marked this year by only four matches per side in the pool phase.
