About 3,000 square metres of turf at the SCG is being replaced after sections of the famous ground's surface were ripped up during Saturday's Super Rugby match between the New South Wales Waratahs and Queensland Reds.

Key points: New South Wales played Queensland in a rugby match at the SCG for the first time since 1983

New South Wales played Queensland in a rugby match at the SCG for the first time since 1983 The Waratahs are set to play three Super Rugby matches at the SCG this season

The Waratahs are set to play three Super Rugby matches at the SCG this season The SCG will host NRL and AFL matches in the coming weeks

Multiple sections of turf were severely cut up during scrums at the contest, forcing ground staff to enter the field of play with shovels and rakes to restore the shredded playing surface.

The ground simply could not cope with the two-tonne set pieces on a pitch usually reserved for cricket and AFL.

It is set to host a blockbuster NRL season opener between the Sydney Roosters and the South Sydney Rabbitohs, meaning the SCG Trust had to act quickly to restore the surface.

"The SCG will replace 3,000 square metres of turf today in preparation for Friday night's NRL round one match between the Sydney Roosters and South Sydney Rabbitohs," the trust said in a statement issued on Sunday.

"Turf at the eastern and western ends of the field was compromised during Saturday night's Super Rugby match.

"A combination of late rain before kick-off in areas of the field dominated by the winter rye grass contributed to damage at scrum time."

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On Saturday, a crowd of 15,681 had been expecting NSW's star-studded, all-Wallabies backline to light up the showdown with the Queensland Reds at the historic venue.

But instead of Israel Folau finishing off dazzling Waratahs attacking raids to become Super Rugby's all-time leading try scorer, punters suffered through a painstaking spectacle that left frantic ground staff as busy as the players.

The Waratahs eventually won 28-17 to retain interstate bragging rights with a 10th-straight triumph over the Reds.

But the dire state of the surface completely overshadowed the game.

At one point, four ground staff were required to repair a series of gaping holes in the ground.

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Fans at the ground and on social media were quick to make light of the situation, but the flimsy surface posed a real threat to player safety, with match referee Glen Jackson expressing concern to the ground staff.

"This is dangerous. This needs to be fixed," the Kiwi Test-match referee said after another scrum collapsed, with neither team able to gain any traction on the surface.

Queensland coach Brad Thorn was also unable to contain his frustration after the flimsy surface sabotaged the powerful Reds pack's hopes of attacking the Waratahs at scrum time, negating its 40-kilogram weight advantage.

The SCG pitch could not cope with the Waratahs and Reds scrums. ( AAP: Craig Golding )

"It just shut it down, didn't it? It's professional sport … so that was disappointing," Thorn said.

"Rugby grounds, obviously there's a lot of running around and tackling but there's some things — the mauling and the scrummaging — so the ground's pretty important.

"It just didn't have any strength to it."

Reds captain Samu Kerevi agreed with his coach, saying "we have a pretty strong scrum and wanted to utilise it tonight but the surface didn't help us".

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With the SCG hosting the NRL first-round clash next week and the Sydney Swans continuing to train at their home base ahead of the start of the 2019 AFL season, there are concerns the venue will be in no state for the Waratahs' scheduled meeting with the Crusaders on March 23, something the trust moved to address in its statement.

"The SCG is confident that the surface will be ready for the Waratahs' match against the Crusaders on March 23," the statement said.

"The new turf is of the ready-to-play variety and will be available for a Roosters training session on Wednesday.

"The SCG will continue to work with its sports partners to ensure the field of play is presented to the highest standards."

Waratahs coach Daryl Gibson said there had been no discussions about moving the next game elsewhere, but added that the team would carefully consider the playing surface in the coming weeks.

"It's certainly something the powers that be will look at, and how it's rectified for the next game," he said.

"It's such an iconic ground that it's a real thrill to play here."

Stadiums in New South Wales have been in the spotlight in recent weeks, with the Matildas' opening Cup of Nations clash switched to Leichhardt Oval after concerns over the pitch at Jubilee Oval and questions being raised during the week about the planned demolition of the Sydney Football Stadium.

The Waratahs' victory over the Reds was their second win from three outings this campaign and consigned the Reds to a worrying none-from-three start to their campaign.

The Waratahs head to Canberra next week to play the Brumbies, with the Reds off to Tokyo for a now must-win clash with the Sunwolves.

AAP/ABC