Wallabies bumped off training pitch

The Wallabies were ordered to train in the end goal area of their Edinburgh training ground after being told the pitch was too wet.

The Wallabies are seen training after being forced to leave the pitch

The Wallabies had to deal with nature as their training plans were affected by Scotland's weather. (AAP)

Former skipper Stephen Moore has slammed the Wallabies' training facilities in Edinburgh ahead of Saturday's Test against Scotland.

The team's preparations for the Murrayfield clash were thrown into chaos on Tuesday after they were ordered off a pitch they'd booked to use at Edinburgh University by the groundsman due to heavy rain.

With the university's first XV playing on Wednesday, the groundsman feared the ground, used by the All Blacks last week, would cut up too badly if Australia used it first.

Coach Michael Cheika and his staff use Tuesday as one of their key days in the week leading up to a game but the players were forced to go through drills behind the posts, close up to some trees.

After another area off the side of the field was deemed an injury risk due to undulating ground with the team finally settled on using a 3G artificial pitch.

"Well, it was a little disappointing," said Moore, who retired from all forms of rugby after Saturday's match.

"It felt like the Amazing Race a bit there...darting around different fields.

"It was probably one of the poorest surfaces I've ever seen actually.

"It was very slippery. We tried to do some drills on the side but it was very, very difficult.

"It was difficult to get any purchase. We had to do our best on the artificial surface."

Cheika missed team meetings with his squad after spending time on the phone pleading with the Scottish Rugby Football Union to find them an alternative venue.

But the offer of a pitch behind the SRFU's head office at Murrayfield was rejected amid fears of Scottish spies looking in on line-out plays.

Despite the disruption, Moore said the team will not be using it as an excuse leading into a game they must win to maintain some momentum going in to 2018 after a difficult 12 months.

"One thing we pride ourselves on as a team is to have no excuses about anything," he said.

"That's probably the message we are trying to get across because what you face, particularly away from home, you can't use as an excuse for your preparation."


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Source: AAP


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