Rob Kearney: Jury out on astro pitches

Rob Kearney is in no doubt that the new breed of artificial turf makes for a better spectacle, but he remains to be convinced it is not coming at the cost of an increased injury toll.

The full-back succumbed to what he described as a freak knee injury away to Glasgow last month when the Warriors christened their new Scotstoun surface with a thrilling comeback win.

“That astro pitch, I’m not sure,” he said this week. “It might take a few more victims in its time, it took another four at the weekend. It was just impact. There was no-one around me, my knee hit the ground.”