Pitch "will perform superbly"
World Rugby have issued the following statement with regard to the pitch at Fukuoka after fears were expressed that it was very poor quality ahead of the Ireland v Samoa match on Saturday:
"We are confident in the integrity of the new Fukuoka pitch for Ireland v Samoa.
With stability and performance the key considerations, World Rugby and JR 2019 took the decision to re-turf the playing surface following significant wear caused by the France versus USA match after heavy rainfall as a consequence of Typhoon 17.
The primary driver was player welfare.
The tournament has dedicated nurseries where back-up turf is meticulously prepared in line with Rugby World Cup standards.
While the look of the turf may not be perfect, as would be expected with a very recent installation, we are confident that the pitch will perform superbly"
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