UNION PLAN PITCH INSPECTION

THE Welsh Rugby Union will today inspect the artificial surface at Sardis Road after several Merthyr players sustained burns during a Welsh Cup semi-final against RGC 1404 last weekend.

The famous ground, which was known as the House of Pain during Pontypridd’s glory days, was installed with the new pitch for this season.

But an investigation was launched by South Wales Sports Grounds, the company that laid the surface, in the wake of pictures of abrasions uploaded to social media by around seven Merthyr players following the 24-20 defeat to the north Wales region.

Some of the victims needed to be treated with antibiotics and could miss this weekend’s potentially explosive Welsh Premiership derby clash at the Wern with Pontypridd.

The WRU has joined the investigation into what went wrong with Sardis Road due to host three matches during next month’s under-18 international series.

England are scheduled to face Canada before Ireland take on Italy and Wales go head-to-head with Scotland in a triple-header on April 8.

If there is found to be an underlying problem it could switch the venue for those fixtures to another ground.

A spokesman for South Wales Sports Grounds said it was in contact with Pontypridd RFC and the surface supplier over the matter.