• Yokohama pitch relaid a month out from first match
• Organisers remain confident of ‘optimal conditions’

Rugby union has never been synonymous with luscious green grass and impeccable playing surfaces. But the venue for this year’s Rugby World Cup final did not have even a blade of grass on it when it was stripped bare and re-laid just a month out from hosting its first match of the tournament.

The pitch at Nissan Stadium, to be known as International Stadium Yokohama for the duration of the tournament, was in a sorry state when it hosted its final match in Japan’s top-tier football competition – the J1 League – prior to a six-week spell as a rugby venue.