Ground staff at Murrayfield have been spraying the home of Scottish rugby with garlic in a bid to eradicate a turf parasite. Nematodes are roundworms that damage the grass root structure.
bbc
The problem was indentified in September and Edinburgh’s home matches have gone ahead as scheduled.
Japan were the visitors on Saturday as Scotland opened their autumn Test series, with South Africa and Australia also playing in Edinburgh in November.
SRU director of management services 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.
“The ground staff will continue their efforts to develop and consolidate the root structure and hope to return the pitch to the standard we all expect to see at the national stadium.”
Example of severe damage caused by Nemotodes
The Captain here GBS is doing Great in Superbru
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1 @ superBul:
I thought I was 27th….. let me go see…
Oh, OK, I’m 40 Globally out of 43 932, but 27th of all 35 402 SA Supporters
@ grootblousmile:
Such an analytical mind is wasted in the body disposal bussiness.
3 @ Scrumdown:
Hehehehehehe
I call it dumb luck…
I hope the Nematodes don’t wear kilts and play the bagpipes!
@ grootblousmile:
Ride it while you can.
@ Scrumdown:
Beware the garlic breathed pipe playing Nematodes
It sounds as if it was causing problems with the scrumming seems like the first team to get the shove forward is at a big advantage guess its hard enough to counter shove as if is then you have added unsure footing with the grass churning up below you hopefully it will be better on Sunday but not sure just another week more treatment will help much as even if the wee worms are all gone the grass roots may take a while to recover, SuperBul you know more about these horticultural matters
Retired Scotland player Rory Lamont was on the radio commentary and when asked about the footing his opinion as a player was that it would be in the minds of players as they were thinking of running for example would they be able to trust the surface enough to swerve or step without slipping, also may make it harder to start running or accelerate with tufts of grass coming up under your feet. Quickly went through the game Saturday night mainly to see the tries and you could see grass coming up at times seemed less of a problem for more fleet footed lighter on their feet smaller guys than the big strong runners who maybe take down and backwards harder with their boots. Have seen on previous tours some Bok players slipping so hope they have correct choice of boots this time.
@ Bullscot:
#9 should be down and backwards steps, sorry still wiping sleep out of the eyes
@ grootblousmile:
Hello GBS congratulations on great Bru weekend, you must have got a lot of points on the Scotland game think you said you got the exact margin on that one
@ Bullscot:
i suggest a scrum mat, about 5 square meters, almost like shade cloth. 2 fast ball boys can remove it after each scrum. A willy 8th man can pull the mat out under any stupid ref too. imagine a team being rolled over at scrumtime, a proper mauling will end up with the opponents looking like mummy’s
@ superBul:
Best laugh I’ve had for a long time.
@ superBul:
When we play golf in Carnarvon we use a little piece of Astroturf that you put the ball on if you’re in the fairway, so why noy in Scotland for the Rugger.
The Sweaty Socks can also just replace the ball with a well cooked haggis.
That’s the only chance they have of winning the game methinks.
@ Scrumdown:
ROFL Scrumdown, just what we need on a Monday, thanks!
I understand that a certain venue’s pitch could be troublesome for a season, but definately not week after week, month after month and year after year.
Sack the freegin groundsman, cut the venue from International or other matches… give them a written and formal ultimatum… do whatever is needed!
Seems that ALL 3 pitches that the Springboks are to play on in the End Of Year Tour, are all suspect…. was definately the case this past weekend (it was utter rubbish), looks set to be the case at Murrayfield with the bloody Nematode infection…. and Stade de France was just as bad in the France / All Blacks game!
What the hell is wrong with these Northern Hemisphere pitches??
17 @ grootblousmile:
Millenium Stadium has been problematic for years now.
I predicted last week that it would be “heavy”.
The fact that they’ve been playing Rugby League WC games on it doesn’t help either.
Earlier this year there was talk of replacing the turf with artificial grass the same as Saracens now have at their new stadium , but I believe that would need some type of special permission from the IRB, so I’m sure that nothing will happen for the next 50 years or so.
18 @ Scrumdown:
Yip, years indeed…
I think a lot of the modern pitches when newly re-laid these days, become inherrently problematic due to the sandy binding agents they work with… and the drainage materials they now allow or impliment.
Look closely when the pitches cut up or tufts come away… it almost sems to come away like “Instant Lawn” slabs or blocks of pieces. It cuts them level just below the roots, which do not grow deep enough to penetrate to deeper levels to allow it to anchor the whole top layer… so either the layer beneath is not good enough or allows too little binding or growth for the roots to go right through.
19 @ grootblousmile:
I think a lot of the problems also stem from the type of grass being used these days.
If you use a broad bladed grass like kikuyu, the root structure is far tougher, hence less cut up, BUT it gives a “heavier” playing surface even when dry.
The fine bladed grasses they use in the UK have a very shallow root system which when coupled with the sandy base layers used for better drainage become problematic.
Some grounds, like Cardiff just remain shyte though, and in all honesty the move to artificial surfaces in cases like that may be the way to go.
19 @ grootblousmile:
Of course dual purpose (soccer and Rugby) pitches are even more problematic because the round ball exponents want bowling green type surfaces.
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