Players complained that the ball resembled a “bar of soap.” Photo: Getty Images/Michael Steele
A late-summer heat wave in France increased humidity, making Gilbert's official ball extremely difficult to handle in some matches in the early rounds of the Rugby World Cup, with players explaining that the ball at times resembled a “bar of soap.”
Night kick-offs have been cited as a factor, as the humidity increases in the evenings and therefore the amount of sweat and dew on the ball, especially in the south of France.
< p>George Ford, England midfielder, after his team's victory over Japan in Nice, he admitted that the sweaty weather made it more difficult to maintain possession with the ball in hand.
“You have to understand how difficult it is,” Ford said. «It may not be as noticeable from the stands or on TV, but it's actually harder than throwing it because of the grease and sweat on the ball.»
But after wet conditions challenged England first in Marseille and then in Nice. The remaining two group stage matches will be played on France's northern coast in Lille, closer to their Le Touquet training base and in a cooler, drier climate.
«Maybe it will make a huge difference,» he added. Ford. “We don't know yet, but in the first two games the ball felt like a bar of soap at times.”
The Stade de Nice has averaged more handling errors so far, 22.5 per match, where England played on Sunday night more than at any other stadium. At Stade Marseille, where England recorded a convincing victory over Argentina, there were 19.5 fielding errors committed during the match, with Argentina largely responsible for that number after 16 errors in that game.
One World Cup assistant coach told Telegraph Sport that the dampness meant the balls were «flying well in the air over the boots» but were «more difficult to handle» during the 21:00 kick-off, citing the effects of both sweat and dew. with the ball.
Both England matches so far have been played in this late window, with humidity often rising to a daily high, making conditions a little more difficult for players under the lights. The next two matches against Chile and Samoa will start at 17:45 local time.
Jonny Wilkinson, the former England midfielder who spent several years playing in France for Toulon, addressed the issues posed by playing so late during ITV's half-time coverage of the game against Japan. Wilkinson compared the England-Japan match to Fiji's win over Australia earlier in the day in Saint-Etienne, where there were noticeably fewer unforced errors in handling and the impacts were mostly physical tackles, such as Eroni Mavi's hit on the young Wallabies halfback. Carter Gordon.
«It's a night game, whereas the Fiji-Australia game was a lot drier,» Wilkinson said. «I've been in these conditions in France, I know what it's like to start a game at 9pm compared to the day.»
Two assistant coaches told Telegraph Sport that the actual grip of the balls is fine , and only the conditions are to blame for any problems. For the first time, the teams received balls on a game day during the captain's run around the stadium the day before, when they were undergoing the final training session. This is the first time the balls have been «scored», meaning that by the time the match kicks off the next day the balls will be close to brand new in terms of grip levels.
Average Temperature and Humidity Levels Expected in France will also be lower next weekend compared to the previous few days, potentially making life easier for teams and avoiding mistakes during evening fixtures, including Ireland's game against South Africa at the Stade de France in Paris, as well as a must-win for Australia. meeting with Wales in Lyon.
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