Liam Toland: All schools games should be played on 4G pitches

Early in the second half Shane Brosnahan cut a swathe through Glenstal Abbey's midfield from possession inside his own half.

Continuing on his diagonal run, the St Clement College’s centre, carrying in his outside arm, fended with his inside right arm as a very organised and athletic Glenstal tightened the available space.

With five metres to go in the left hand corner a quality battle for possession ensued at the subsequent breakdown with Glenstal stealing and clearing to touch 15 metres from their line. Clement’s hooker, Derry Gleeson, fired a beauty, dead straight, towards the tail and missed his target by inches; turnover to Glenstal.

It should be compulsory for all schools games to be played on 4G pitches. Compulsory? I was out at the impressive University of Limerick’s facility for the Munster Senior School’s Cup match between St Clement’s College – Redemptorists – and Glenstal Abbey School – Benedictine Monks – on Wednesday and loved it.

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Remember, we are still deep in winter but the rugby played was far from winter rules. That turnover 15 metres from Glenstal's line was spun through the hands in classic turnover policy with the left winger Ronan Quinn receiving.

Exactly a year ago this week I highlighted Quinn in these pages when watching him play in the Junior Cup against Castletroy when noting "but the pitch was set alight by the Glenstal fullback Ronan Quinn who was electric whenever on the ball".

I suppose that’s what I’m exploring – ignorance of space. Why does it take a minor miracle for fullbacks of Quinn’s electric Under-16 talent to arrive on the ball? Why is space ignored for contact? Why is there no turnover policy?’

On Wednesday Glenstal had a turnover policy and Quinn received within seconds. His run into space as Clement’s adjusted and scrabbled back brought him within five metres of the St Clement’s’ line.

Greater opportunity

That’s 70 metres gained by Quinn from a turnover. Both sides were equally well-coached with the 27-10 difference down to several representative players in the Glenstal XV.

Glenstal inside centre Luke Fitzgerald was at totally ease with his brief and I could actually make out his thoughts as he observed the game around him – you could see him soak in all available details.

That said, there was a tendency by the same representative players to overplay the ball when greater opportunity lay outside them.

I watched Glenstal loosehead Sean Scanlon-Garry, who cut a fine athletic figure and performed well in the set piece. I was fascinated to observe a loosehead at this level and how they perform; do they just run around after the ball?

I noted the various strategies we see weekly in the provinces from both teams – the Johnny Sexton wrap-around provided Glenstal's first try and the Glenstal pack all filled the pitch akin to Connacht with specific roles in channels of the pitch for players.

All extremely organised. I did ask myself as I stood enjoying this wonderful fixture ‘what impact will this fine-tuning of roles have on the overall skill levels of the individual player such as the props? Will it improve or will it deny other wider skills to the player?’ Only time will tell.

Either way the 4G pitch has transformed the early stages (January) of schools competitions where there was no lack of ambition on the ball and the ball carrier got to full flight within a few paces as opposed to being dragged down in the quagmire of mud.

There were no muddy bun fights on the deck with clear technical rucking throughout and quality ball placement. There was a wonderful array of spin passing (off both hands from forwards and backs alike) and complementary gentle offloads as all players were involved. The rugby knowledge from both teams was a credit to their coaches and themselves. This pitch clearly forces coaches to work on skills.

Defensive reads

To the professional game. Andrew Conway was magnificent in all he did last weekend. I recall his impact at fullback when the New Zealand Maoris visited Thomond Park. It was a terrible night and he was both brave and brilliant in the air as his opposing fullback was shepherd hooked early on.

But in Scotstoun, his defensive reads were patient and timely and in attack he added huge value working whether he had the ball or not.

As noted last Friday, Conor Murray was targeted around the fringes but I do wonder what impact the 4G pitch had on trapping his planted left foot – any thoughts?

Regarding this weekend I must hark back to the 4G pitch but this time at Scotstoun Stadium Glasgow. Thankfully the professional athlete still has a requirement for a brain. Down to 14 men, with Stuart Hogg in the bin, Glasgow were sat in the Munster 22. They were two points behind. I'm delighted for Munster for a million reasons but I simply can't fathom the Glasgow brain fart.

At no stage did they even begin to wonder about a drop goal or set-up for one. Off the 4G pitch the laws of average must totally favour a clean Finn Russell strike, putting Glasgow one point in the lead and making it Munster’s problem. There are serious sanctions for high hits to the head, correctly, but there should equally be sanctions for Glasgow’s poor use of their heads!

liamtoland@yahoo.com

* A 4G pitch is a synthetic sport surface type classed as all-weather due to the permeable qualities. 4G pitches are laid onto a shockpad and do not require sand or rubber infill.