GROUND staff at Murrayfield are fighting a running battle with pitch-damaging roundworms ahead of Scotland’s November test series, which starts this weekend.
Scotland take on Japan on Saturday in the first of three games at the national stadium this month, with SRU staff working constantly to battle the nematodes which are embedded in the turf.
Groundstaff have even resorted to blasting the parasites with garlic, in a bid to prevent further damage.
The SRU’s Mark Laidlaw said: “A soil examination in September revealed an excessive build up of nematodes which have caused significant root damage.
“The result is a shallow and weakened root network and, though it continues to perform well in play, it can weaken under the significant pressure exerted by scrums.
“We’ve worked with some of the leading experts in this area to examine and treat one of the best surfaces in world rugby using natural remedies, including the spraying of garlic, but it takes a number of weeks to eradicate the problem and then to recover root strength.â€
The pitch is used extensively, with Edinburgh Rugby playing their home games in the RaboDirect PRO12 and Heineken Cup at the stadium.
Scotland play South Africa and Australia later this month.
Article source: http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/rugby-efficient-new-zealand-beat-combative-japan-tokyo-064620164--spt.html
Scotland rugby staff in turf worm battle
No comments:
Post a Comment