England's match against the Barbarians at Twickenham on Sunday has been left in doubt after some Baa-Baas players were reported to have breached coronavirus protocols by leaving their team hotel without permission.
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The Rugby Football Union (RFU) says an unknown number of players left the hotel without gaining permission and did not inform organisers of their whereabouts on Wednesday evening.
After their return, they were separated from the rest of the group in the biosecure bubble.
The RFU says even if there was a further round of COVID-19 testing on the players who left the bubble, there would be no guarantees that they are not infectious in the period up to and including the match.
A decision will be made about whether the match can go ahead by 3pm on Friday, but those who have breached protocols have been forbidden from participating in Sunday's fixture.
The RFU statement read: "Barbarian F.C. have expressed their extreme disappointment in the conduct of the players involved."
The Barbarians are now left with a furious scramble to bring in playing squad additions.
England head coach Eddie Jones is due to name his starting line-up for the game on Friday.
Australian Associated Press
