Sharks lock Stephan Lewies believes professional rugby matches should always be played on grass.
The 34-year-old was speaking ahead of the Sharks’ URC clash against Cardiff at the Arms Park on Friday night, which will be played on a synthetic 4G surface.
“I prefer grass!” said Lewies, who spent seven seasons playing for English Premiership club Harlequins before rejoining the Sharks earlier this year.
“We were talking about it earlier – there should be an age limit on 4G pitches. The older you get, the harder it gets!
“I’m not a big fan. I love grass pitches. I think that’s how it should be in the pro game. But it is what it is. You can’t change that. Both teams are playing on the same surface.”
Lewies’ comments come after Louis Rees-Zammit called for artificial pitches to be scrapped in top-flight rugby. The Wales wing emerged from the Bristol Bears’ recent defeat to Saracens with a heavily scarred right leg.
Bristol director of rugby Pat Lam also revealed that he had left three key players out of the trip to north London because of the potential risks associated with the artificial pitch.
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Lewies believes most professional players share his preference for grass, although he acknowledges the practical reasons for using synthetic surfaces.
“I think most players would tell you they don’t like them, because of injuries,” he said before referring to Lam’s comments.
“But for obvious reasons in the UK, the weather, it’s understandable. The cost implications for clubs [which have grass pitches] are massive. Every year you basically have to redo the pitch.
“So I think it’s a lot more than just my opinion of ‘I don’t like it’. There are obviously reasons for the pitch, and probably the biggest ones are weather and financial.
“But as a player, I think you’re going to go far to find a player who says he’d rather play on 4G than on grass.”
Lewies, who earned one Test cap for the Springboks off the bench against Scotland in 2014, said playing on artificial turf also required technical adjustments.
“There are small subtleties in terms of the bounce of the ball – a bit higher, a bit different. So when there are scraps, you have to be a bit more alert.
“When you’re placing the ball on grass, it lies there a little bit more. In a tackle, when you place the ball, it bounces a little bit more if you don’t look after it.
“But at the end of the day, it’s rugby between four lines.”
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Photo: Stu Forster/Gallo Images/Getty Images
The post Lewies: Players don’t like 4G pitches appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Sharks lock Stephan Lewies believes professional rugby matches should always be played on grass.
The post Lewies: Players don’t like 4G pitches appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
