Given the ramifications in terms of lost revenue and lack of match practice ahead of Heineken Cup resumption, the need for some form of underground protection should be of paramount importance to Ireland's provinces. Tony Ward writes in the Irish Independent.
"I have not the faintest idea what it would cost to install under-soil heating, whether at Ravenhill, the RDS, Thomond Park, or the Sportsground, but whatever the investment it would be money well spent.
"Certainly, deprived of match practice, the Irish sides are at a disadvantage with knock-out qualification in Europe now entering the final straight. Michael Cheika's decision to run with a full-strength line-up against Ulster was timely in retrospect. Brian McLaughlin too made good use of the Northerners' clash with Munster in the New Year by giving his first-teamers game time, meaning the real victims of the weather are Tony McGahan and, to a lesser extent, Michael Bradley.
"McGahan, who went with a second-string selection at Ravenhill, now finds himself in the position of seeing more than half his side for Saturday's crucial game away to Treviso go into battle without a match since December 20 against Perpignan, while Bradley's Connacht welcome Montpellier in the Challenge Cup on Friday without playing since December 26."
RSS feed
