Turf QLD Industry Alert |British Rugby Players Not Happy Playing on Artificial Turf. (BBC SPORT)

British Rugby Players Not Happy Playing on Artificial Turf. (BBC SPORT)

• Johnny McNicholl hopes no more artificial surfaces are introduced to rugby after he and his teammates suffered burns against Glasgow in recent game.
• Wayne Pivac Coach has been tipped to succeed fellow New Zealander Warren Gatland as Wales coach after the 2019 Rugby World Cup. “The 4G artificial surface was very firm. It is what it is, you have got to play on them and you have got to accept it – but I am not a fan.”
• Wales wing Steff Evans, sporting burns and blisters, said the surface was “totally different” to the artificial pitches he has played on at Cardiff Arms Park and Saracens..

Rugby Team Scarlets, say preparations for Saturday’s Pro14 final against Leinster have been hampered by burns and blisters suffered by players in Friday’s semi-final victory at Glasgow.

Coach Wayne Pivac said Scotstoun’s 4G artificial pitch installed in 2016 was “very bad”, Steff Evans said it was “shocking” and Johnny McNicholl says such surfaces should be “illegal”.

Pivac said players suffered blisters, sore feet and “a lot of bad burns”.

Glasgow said they are “entirely happy with” the playing surface??????.

The Warriors added the pitch “is fully compliant with World Rugby’s performance specification”.

The Glasgow pitch issue was raised as England learned they will be without Wasps flanker Jack Willis on their summer tour because of a knee injury suffered on Saracens’ 4G pitch.

• Barclay has surgery after injury rules him out of Pro14 final

Scarlets boss Pivac said players were unable to train on Monday and some were still out of action on Tuesday because “to run around and knock the skin off again is not the ideal situation”.

“The main thing is to make the burns heal up,” he added.

“So, no-one trained yesterday [Monday] in terms of rugby work on the field and there will be some who won’t train today which is unfortunate, but we will have a full training session on Thursday.

“It’s things that won’t stop them playing, but it’s not ideal.”

Pivac said the Glasgow surface “was very dry” on Friday, which led to players getting burns when they slid on it.

“I am not sure what other teams have had, we had got a lot of burns, a lot of bad grazing and blisters,” he added.

“The surface was very firm. It is what it is, you have got to play on them and you have got to accept it – but I am not a fan.”

‘Shocking Surface’

Wales wing Steff Evans, sporting burns and blisters, said the surface was “totally different” to the artificial pitches he has played on at Cardiff Arms Park and Saracens.

“These [wounds] are going to be stuck with me for a while, it is a tough field that 4G,” he said.

“It was just really dry. It wasn’t soft, it was a hard ground.

“The weather didn’t help, it was like playing on carpet, it was shocking.

“You are waking up in bed and the sheets are stuck to your leg about seven times a night.”

But he added: “You can’t concentrate on the burns, there is something more important to look forward to this weekend.”

Evans also told BBC Radio Cymru: “It was tough when you were sliding down for the ball and you got up and your legs were bleeding.”

‘Pitch should be illegal’

Full-back McNicholl, who said he sustained a dozen burns, described the pitch as “horrible” and questioned whether it should be legal.

“It has not been a couple of nice nights, sticking to the sheets,” said the New Zealander.

“Underfoot, it is good when you are running, but as soon as you hit the deck it affects your joints as well.

“I would prefer not to play on them. I remember going down on the deck for the ball and got this massive grass burn on my backside.

Rugby Team Scarlets, say preparations for Saturday’s Pro14 final against Leinster have been hampered by burns and blisters suffered by players in Friday’s semi-final victory at Glasgow.

Coach Wayne Pivac said Scotstoun’s 4G artificial pitch installed in 2016 was “very bad”, Steff Evans said it was “shocking” and Johnny McNicholl says such surfaces should be “illegal”.

Pivac said players suffered blisters, sore feet and “a lot of bad burns”.

Glasgow said they are “entirely happy with” the playing surface??????.

The Warriors added the pitch “is fully compliant with World Rugby’s performance specification”.

The Glasgow pitch issue was raised as England learned they will be without Wasps flanker Jack Willis on their summer tour because of a knee injury suffered on Saracens’ 4G pitch.

• Barclay has surgery after injury rules him out of Pro14 final

Scarlets boss Pivac said players were unable to train on Monday and some were still out of action on Tuesday because “to run around and knock the skin off again is not the ideal situation”.

“The main thing is to make the burns heal up,” he added.

“So, no-one trained yesterday [Monday] in terms of rugby work on the field and there will be some who won’t train today which is unfortunate, but we will have a full training session on Thursday.

“It’s things that won’t stop them playing, but it’s not ideal.”

Pivac said the Glasgow surface “was very dry” on Friday, which led to players getting burns when they slid on it.

“I am not sure what other teams have had, we had got a lot of burns, a lot of bad grazing and blisters,” he added.

“The surface was very firm. It is what it is, you have got to play on them and you have got to accept it – but I am not a fan.”

‘Shocking Surface’

Wales wing Steff Evans, sporting burns and blisters, said the surface was “totally different” to the artificial pitches he has played on at Cardiff Arms Park and Saracens.

“These [wounds] are going to be stuck with me for a while, it is a tough field that 4G,” he said.

“It was just really dry. It wasn’t soft, it was a hard ground.

“The weather didn’t help, it was like playing on carpet, it was shocking.

“You are waking up in bed and the sheets are stuck to your leg about seven times a night.”

But he added: “You can’t concentrate on the burns, there is something more important to look forward to this weekend.”

Evans also told BBC Radio Cymru: “It was tough when you were sliding down for the ball and you got up and your legs were bleeding.”

‘Pitch should be illegal’

Full-back McNicholl, who said he sustained a dozen burns, described the pitch as “horrible” and questioned whether it should be legal.

“It has not been a couple of nice nights, sticking to the sheets,” said the New Zealander.

“Underfoot, it is good when you are running, but as soon as you hit the deck it affects your joints as well.

“I would prefer not to play on them. I remember going down on the deck for the ball and got this massive grass burn on my backside.