Irish woes put to the sward

THE Irish players had harsh words for the Croke Park pitch, but stadium director Peter McKenna defended the controversial sward by comparing it to the best the Premiership has to offer.

All eyes were on the surface at GAA headquarters six weeks ago when Eddie O’Sullivan’s side took on France but worries over the hardness of the ground and its ability to stand up to the rigours of rugby proved unfounded.

Saturday was a different story. There were occasions when the ball bounced as though on a roulette wheel.