HARRY'S HOUSE - PREPARATION WEEK FOR SOUTH AFRICAN TRIALS
Tuesday, 19 January 2010 4:20pm
Sam Harris
Mon 11th Jan: Theme of this week's training is similar to last week, although this week we are going to step up the contact. We got straight into it on Monday afternoon. With the large volume of work last week we have had some minor injuries, this being my 10th pre-season I have come to know that a few casualties along the way is a necessary evil. This will be the last of our really big weeks as we fly out to Sth Africa next Tuesday (today, Tuesday 19 January), knowing this the lads know they just have to put their heads down and bums up for one more week.
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Tues 12th Jan: This morning we had a referee come and take us though a 20 min live session, which means for periods of 90 seconds we have game situations where we have 2 teams and its full blown contact. 30 second breaks to talk tactics and then we go again. Trying conditions as it was very hot. This week and last we had about 15 young blokes from the Academy come in to see what it is like to train in the full time squad. Due to injuries a lot of these guys had to fill in, they did a great job. A few players showed they didn't look out of place. Our patterns are looking really good with everyone knowing their roles, very promising signs.
Wed 13th Jan: Day off. In the morning all the members have to go to ECU at Joondalup to do the dexar scan that we did in week 2. I think this is to see the physiological gains that we have made thus far into the pre-season. I took the twins to have lunch with Brett Sheehan and Tim Fairbrother in Cottesloe. The girls attract a lot of attention.
Promotion in the arvo at Cottesloe Rugby Club - Walla rugby and clinics with all of our major sponsors and their clients. A really well run afternoon with a little bit of a stand up routine from Brad Hilyard, our Partnerships Manager, to kick off proceedings. There were 8 teams of sponsors with 4 players assigned to each team to help them in the games of touch. I was with Emirates, we ended up winning the day which was made all the more sweeter for the Emirates crew because there was another Emirates team and we beat them along the way, so they now have bragging rights for the next 12 months.
Thurs 14th Jan: Full on day, from 8.30 till 10pm I don't stop. My day goes yoga, physio, massage, weights, strategy meeting, mouth guard fitting, admin meeting, field training, and straight to promotion at Burswood with the EWF Diamond Members. Slept very well. Promo was good. Sharpie and Pek interviewed all the new comers. Sharpie started with Barty, very funny stuff, the skipper making fun of Barty's age although he's only 3 months younger him. He made a joke about how when he was in primary school he used to watch Barty on tele. Tim Fairbrother (who fancies himself as a bit of a comedian) thought he threw a couple of gold one liners out there that weren't well received at all. He actually got heckled by a man of Scottish descent. Tim even had the audacity to ask the crowd if they could hear him properly. It was great to see the support that we received from our members; most of them have been with the EWF from day one.
Fri 15 Jan: Most of the squad battered and bruised from the brutal week, we have a reasonably light day. We go through our kick off set up, then the backs go off to do some starter plays and forwards go off to do scrums.
Then straight off to grapple, the last thing the boys want, but know we need to do. Back to the gym for one of BA's famous circuits. Glad to see the back of that week. We got through a mountain of work though and I'm sure the coaches are pleased with our progress.
