RU Today: John Nicholson column and Tadhg Beirne inclusion
Another busy day in the rugby union game as columnist John Nicholson takes a look at the fallout from the Glasgow v Scarlets game and the potential issues of 4G pitches.
What’s on the site
John Nicholson returns to give his opinion, this time on artificial surfaces and how something should be done to eradicate the issues that are caused by the pitches.
With the Premiership final just a few days away, there is a quiz to test your knowledge on the teams taking part in the showpiece event; Exeter Chiefs and Saracens.
Finally, Sam Larner looks beyond the basic statistics in rugby and instead analyses in-depth at what makes a player effective at their job.
What’s in the news
Ireland have named their squad for the upcoming tour to Australia, with Munster-bound Tadhg Beirne included for the first time.
Meanwhile, Wales have received a boost with Rob Howley confirming that George North and Ross Moriarty will be available for their June encounters.
In the southern hemisphere, New Zealand Rugby have announced that prop Karl Tu’inukuafe has joined the squad as a replacement for the injured Tim Perry.
What’s on social media
Tadhg Beirne is a popular inclusion in the Ireland squad after a fine couple of seasons for the Scarlets.
Hard to think of two more deserving players for a first Ireland call up than Tadhg Beirne and Ross Byrne. Well earned.
— Cian Tracey (@CianTracey1) May 23, 2018
What’s on TV
It is finals weekend in the Premiership and PRO14, with Exeter Chiefs facing Saracens on BT Sport and Leinster taking on the Scarlets on Sky Sports.
The Top 14 is at the last-four stage and Sky will show both matches, while they also have Round 15 of Super Rugby which begins with Crusaders v Hurricanes. On Sunday, England will host a star-studded Barbarians as they begin their preparations for the June games.