TS this weekend - ground condition?

[Sanecow]

What are the chances that the TS ground will be chopped to hell this weekend? How much damage does an Australia / New Zealand rugby game do to a footy ground? I don't pay rugby much attention - do they dig the turf up? I imagine scrums are pretty rough on the surface.

[Glenn]

Generally speaking the surface is pretty good, there is no rain forecast so the surface shouldn't be chopped up.
About the only thing you would be able to see from the Bledisloe is where the advertising on the field has been painted over, and prehaps the 22m line etc

[Mike_B]

As was posted elsewhere (although not sure which thread), the sods of turf that are laid over the roller tracks that allow the stands to be brought in/moved out will be pretty noticeable on both wings - hopefully they won't be too shift where they meet the permanent (for want of a better word) turf.

I would also hope they give the field a good trim before the game - the rugby codes like the grass longer than AFL, so hopefully they will be able to accommodate both codes.

[floppinab]

Originally posted by Mike_B
As was posted elsewhere (although not sure which thread), the sods of turf that are laid over the roller tracks that allow the stands to be brought in/moved out will be pretty noticeable on both wings - hopefully they won't be too shift where they meet the permanent (for want of a better word) turf.

That was definately a problem in the first year of the Olympic Stadium but has certainly improved in subsequent years. Suspect they've had a week or more to bed them though as opposed to 4 or 5 hours this Sun. morn.

[Sanecow]

I'm pretty nervous about the possibility of injuries at this time of year!

[Mike_B]

Originally posted by floppinab
That was definately a problem in the first year of the Olympic Stadium but has certainly improved in subsequent years. Suspect they've had a week or more to bed them though as opposed to 4 or 5 hours this Sun. morn.

Well, they will still have to lay (re-lay) them sometime between 10pm on Sat and 10am on Sunday - so while the sods themselves may be fine, my bigger concern will be how they fit in with the existing turf (how hard, solidbase v shift etc etc).

[cruiser]

From www.bom.gov.au

Sunday : Fine. Sunny. N/NW winds.

Sydney: 7 21
Liverpool: 0 21
Penrith: 1 21
Richmond: 0 21

Beautiful.

Its gonna get down to minus 1C out west on Saturday night. That'll teach the ARU to double book on us and get us bumped off to Sunday. I hope they freeze.

[Xie Shan]

Originally posted by cruiser
That'll teach the ARU to double book on us and get us bumped off to Sunday. I hope they freeze.

I like your thinking - especially given that OUR draw was released first! Anyway, I think that in return for moving our game, there's an agreement that the ARU won't schedule games to clash with the Swans from now on.

[robbieando]

Originally posted by Mike_B
Well, they will still have to lay (re-lay) them sometime between 10pm on Sat and 10am on Sunday - so while the sods themselves may be fine, my bigger concern will be how they fit in with the existing turf (how hard, solidbase v shift etc etc).

Isn't part of the agreement the Swans and the AFL reached with the ARU for us to move our game to the Sunday sees the stands stay in their "AFL configuration" for the Bledisloe on the Saturday Night?

[Tuesday]

Originally posted by cruiser
That'll teach the ARU to double book on us and get us bumped off to Sunday. I hope they freeze.

But -- I'll be one of those people who will be out there, freezing. Sigh... Saving the best game till last this weekend.

[Xie Shan]

Originally posted by Tuesday
But -- I'll be one of those people who will be out there, freezing. Sigh... Saving the best game till last this weekend.

Don't worry - of course we don't want you to freeze - as long as your loyalties lie with the Swans, that is Stay warm on Saturday night!

The sad thing is that the ARU people responsible for the double booking will probably be watching the game from the comfort of a warm corporate box somewhere at TS!

[Mike_B]

Originally posted by robbieando
Isn't part of the agreement the Swans and the AFL reached with the ARU for us to move our game to the Sunday sees the stands stay in their "AFL configuration" for the Bledisloe on the Saturday Night?

Could be - I'm not sure.

[adnar]

Originally posted by robbieando
Isn't part of the agreement the Swans and the AFL reached with the ARU for us to move our game to the Sunday sees the stands stay in their "AFL configuration" for the Bledisloe on the Saturday Night?

I'm going to the Rugby on saturday.. that sucks if that's true will surely kill some of the amazing atmosphere.

[floppinab]

Originally posted by robbieando
Isn't part of the agreement the Swans and the AFL reached with the ARU for us to move our game to the Sunday sees the stands stay in their "AFL configuration" for the Bledisloe on the Saturday Night?

Nope it ain't,

http://www.aflnswact.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&aid=96511

"The moving experience at Telstra Stadium begins with the relocation of two grandstands holding 14,000 seats to allow for the AFL oval."

[Mike_B]

On the news they showed LRT and Phil Waugh in each other's guernsey/jersey and so forth (they both went to school together) and the stadium was in an oval config - not sure if it will stay that way though.