Johnny McNicholl has called for artificial pitches to be outlawed after he and a number of his Scarlets team-mates suffered burns and blisters during Friday night’s Guinness Pro14 semi-final in Glasgow and the region’s Scotland captain, John Barclay, ruptured an achilles’ tendon that will keep him out for six months.
The following day the Wasps flanker Jack Willis, who had just been called into the England squad, ruptured ligaments in his right knee on Saracens’ artificial pitch and will be out of action for up to a year. Last month the Pau back-row Steffon Armitage ruptured an achilles’ tendon during the European Challenge Cup semi-final defeat at Cardiff Blues and is unlikely to play again this year.
Exeter and Saracens show pedigree to promise spectacular grand finale
“I do not like playing on artificial pitches because you run a high risk of being injured,” said McNicholl, the New Zealander who played at full-back in Glasgow. “I went down on the deck for the ball and got a massive grass burn on my backside. I have a dozen grazes and my feet are numb. I have been sticking to the sheets for the last few nights.
“I hope more of these pitches do not crop up because I would not want to play on them. Our physio’s room has been packed this week and I was not the worst. I said to the trainer during the game that such a pitch should be made illegal. I much prefer grass.”
The Scarlets’ head coach, Wayne Pivac, described Glasgow’s pitch as “very bad” and said that the number of players who needed treatment this week had hampered training preparations for Saturday’s Pro14 final against Leinster in Dublin. “No one was able to train yesterday [Monday] and many sat it out today, which was unfortunate,” he went on. “It is not anything that will stop them playing this weekend but it is not ideal. I am not a fan of these pitches.”
Glasgow said they were “entirely happy” with the pitch at Scotstoun Stadium, which was installed in 2016 and was fully compliant with the performance specification of World Rugby, which has held a World Series sevens event at the ground.
World Rugby has conducted injury surveys on artificial pitches, including incidents involving concussion, and no material difference has been found with grass surfaces. It says it has put robust processes in place for the accreditation of firms who produce the pitches and on their installation.
Glasgow and the Blues are the two teams in the Pro14 who have artificial pitches while in the Premiership Saracens, Newcastle and Worcester have them. Gloucester intended joining them next season but after taking advice from their players, the club is spending £1m on a surface that will be a hybrid of grass and artificial grass fibres.