France vs Ireland OFF

[dave_clark]

ooh - big call.

good to see that safety is paramount at the top levels too - makes our jobs easier.

 

[Toby Warren]

True, but so late?

Flight £150-£200
Hotel £150
Beers /dinner £100

Called off 5 mins before KO - priceless

 

[Zulu_Bravo]

Calling it off with five minutes to go is farcical. It's not like this weather was unexpected; it has materialised exactly as forecast. If they can look at a weather forecast for a Level 8 / Level 9 game, and make a firm decision 24 hours in advance, why can this not be done also at international level? I understand the player safety angle but sub-zero temperatures have been forecast for an evening fixture for days. It is known that there is no under-soil heating. Yet it took them until five minutes before the kick-off to realise that the pitch might freeze during the match!

 

[Ian_Cook]

Calling it off with five minutes to go is farcical. It's not like this weather was unexpected; it has materialised exactly as forecast. If they can look at a weather forecast for a Level 8 / Level 9 game, and make a firm decision 24 hours in advance, why can this not be done also at international level? I understand the player safety angle but sub-zero temperatures have been forecast for an evening fixture for days. It is known that there is no under-soil heating. Yet it took them until five minutes before the kick-off to realise that the pitch might freeze during the match!

Because calling off a Level 8/9 game is unimportant, but calling off an international is a BIG DEAL!!!

 

[Zulu_Bravo]

All the more reason to get it right. What has changed in the preceding 24 hours? The weather forecast? no. The stadium? no. It could have been called off last night. The decision could even have been made this afternoon when the weather is 95% likely to materialise as predicted.

 

[Ian_Cook]

Flight £150-£200
Hotel £150
Beers /dinner £100

Called off 5 mins before KO - priceless

:biggrin:

 

[Zulu_Bravo]

If only the players were allowed to wear leggings ....

 

[MrQeu]

What will happen now? I've read that it's the first V/VI Nations to be called off since 1985, but haven't read about a re-schedule.

 

[Adam]

Calling it off with five minutes to go is farcical. It's not like this weather was unexpected; it has materialised exactly as forecast. If they can look at a weather forecast for a Level 8 / Level 9 game, and make a firm decision 24 hours in advance, why can this not be done also at international level? I understand the player safety angle but sub-zero temperatures have been forecast for an evening fixture for days. It is known that there is no under-soil heating. Yet it took them until five minutes before the kick-off to realise that the pitch might freeze during the match!

What a ridiculous situation for an international venue to not have under-soil heating.

 

[Zulu_Bravo]

Exactly. And then to schedule an evening kick-off there in February.

 

[Adam]

Exactly. And then to schedule an evening kick-off there in February.

TV.



(msf)

 

[didds]

True, but so late?

Flight £150-£200
Hotel £150
Beers /dinner £100

Called off 5 mins before KO - priceless

True ... but... if i had been called off a 24 hrs ago

Flight £150-£200
Hotel £150

A week ago? Might have got away with flight £150.


I don;t disagree with the point made that it really should have been called 24 hours ago given the forecast for Paris was the the same as it was last night.

Even more amazing a "new" stadium with no "underfloor" heating in what is still pretty much northern europe. (???)

didds

 

[Ian_Cook]

What a ridiculous situation for an international venue to not have under-soil heating.

AFAIK no Rugby Grounds in the Southern Hemisphere have under-soil heating.... and nor does Twickenham!!

 

[djones]

Play it tomorrow

 

[Taff]

AFAIK no Rugby Grounds in the Southern Hemisphere have under-soil heating.... and nor does Twickenham!!

I don't know about the SH stadiums, but in fairness Twickenham wasn't built just 16yrs ago. I wonder how much it would cost to install undersoil heating now. :chin: IIRC Murrayfield installed undersoil heating back in the 70s, so it must be possible.

Play it tomorrow

Are we due an overnight heatwave? :biggrin: Its forecast to be -8C tonight. :sad:

 

[djones]

They could do what happens at low level matches, if the pitch is going to be unplayable then play at the oppositions ground.... Bet that would go down well

 

[Adam]

AFAIK no Rugby Grounds in the Southern Hemisphere have under-soil heating.... and nor does Twickenham!!

I hope it's warm in 2 weeks! I'll hold off buying my train ticket for London then.

 

[Ian_Cook]

I don't know about the SH stadiums, but in fairness Twickenham wasn't built just 16yrs ago. I wonder how much it would cost to install undersoil heating now. :chin: IIRC Murrayfield installed undersoil heating back in the 70s, so it must be possible.

From an article I have about stadium design.

MURRAYFIELD
Located in Edinburgh, Murrayfield is home to Scottish Rugby and was built in 1925. It used to hold the record for the largest ever attendance for a rugby union match, with 104,000 watching Scotland play Wales in 1975. At present, its all-seater capacity is 67,800.

It also plays host to music concerts including the final Live 8 concert, Edinburgh 50,000 - The Final Push, in July 2005.

Wintry conditions posed a constant threat to matches and so an investigation into the possibility of installing an under soil-heating system was undertaken in the early 1950s. An electric blanket was installed in 1959 at a cost of £10,000, but this system was upgraded by a new gas-heated system of hot water pipes. It was £250,000 to install and was ready in time for the 1991 World Cup. The new system has an estimated 24 miles of plastic piping running about 10 inches below the surface, from west to east.

 

[Ian_Cook]

Apparently, it was Dave Pearson's decision...

From the RBS Six nations website

[Irish] Coach Declan Kidney gave his full backing to referee Dave Pearson after the English official chose to postpone Ireland's clash with France - but he revealed he had a hard time selling the decision to his dressing room.

Freezing temperatures in Paris led Pearson to make an 11th hour decision to cancel the clash with the players just minutes away from doing battle. Despite the best efforts of the Stade de France staff parts of the pitch remained frozen.

Kidney accepted that to play the game would have been dangerous however with his team hyped-up for a RBS 6 Nations battle the dressing room was non-plussed.

“The referee has to make the decision which is very tough on one person but I think in fairness to him he has made the right one,” said Kidney.

 

[Dixie]

Apparently, it was Dave Pearson's decision...
....

Kidney accepted that to play the game would have been dangerous however with his team hyped-up for a RBS 6 Nations battle the dressing room was non-plussed.

So - Ireland shafted yet again by Dave Pearson :biggrin: