England's summer rugby schedule is facing significant disruption due to ongoing Covid-19 complications, with Georgia emerging as a potential replacement opponent for a match at Twickenham. The original plan for a short North American tour against Canada and the USA in July has been thrown into doubt, as several key players will be away with the British and Irish Lions in South Africa.
According to Sportsmail, logistical problems have undermined the revised arrangement to host the matches in England. The USA were scheduled to face South Africa before travelling to the UK for games against England and Georgia, but the UK government's requirement for a 10-day quarantine for arrivals from 'red zone' countries has made this unfeasible within the tight timeframe.
One source described the situation behind the scenes as a 'total mess', with the England vs USA match particularly uncertain. It remains unclear whether the England-Canada fixture is more advanced in planning. Meanwhile, England may also face Georgia, and the reinstated Saxons (the national 'A' team) are due to play Scotland, potentially as part of a round-robin event as Scotland's planned tour of Georgia and Romania is also affected.
