Under the IRB Laws of the Game, if either team has objections about the ground they must tell the referee before the match starts. The referee must not start the match if he believes that the pitch is unfit to play and therefore potentially dangerous. The referee can also stop a match once it has started if he subsequently decides that it is unfit to play.
If both teams believe the ground to be unsafe then the referee must not start the match. If one team believes the ground is safe and the other disagrees, the referee will attempt to resolve the issues between the two teams. If these issues cannot be resolved the referee shall give his opinion as to whether the ground is fit to play or not. However, for the avoidance of doubt, a referee cannot force a team to play. The decision as to whether to play or not must be taken by the team itself
