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England's day at the beach joins list of unusual training methods

By Online Editors
George Ford

England Rugby head coach Eddie Jones raised eyebrows when he sent his World Cup-bound squad on a lifeguard course in Cornwall.

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The surprise excursion came as the Australian attempted to freshen up preparations for the tournament in Japan.

Here, PA takes a look at some of the unusual training methods coaches and athletes have used in pursuit of success.

Lions and unicorns

England’s footballers took to the pool after launching their 2018 World Cup finals campaign in Russia with a last-gasp win over Tunisia. Midfielder Jesse Lingard posted photographs of himself and several team-mates racing on inflatable unicorns with manager Gareth Southgate keen to keep spirits high for what proved to be an extended campaign.

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Sweating it out

Warren Gatland and his coaching team found a simple way to try to acclimatise the Wales rugby squad to the heat of Washington DC as they prepared to meet South Africa at the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium. The players trained wearing bin bags over their kit in an attempt to replicate average daily temperatures of 84 degrees fahrenheit, 29 celsius – and went on to win a tight game 22-20.

A lot of bottle

Australia opening batsman Matt Renshaw revealed coach Justin Langer’s innovative method to ready him for the challenge of facing Pakistan’s spinners in Dubai in 2018. Langer placed bowling markers and empty plastic water bottles in areas where rough might appear on a fifth-day pitch in the nets in an attempt to reproduce the testing conditions under which he might have to bat.

Boxing clever

Ukrainian boxer Vasyl Lomachenko was banned from the sport by his father for four years and sent to dance classes to improve his footwork, and he continues to employ unorthodox methods in training. The WBA and WBO lightweight champion, who comprehensively defeated Briton Anthony Crolla in April, was taught to juggle and do handstands by his gymnast mother and uses both to hone his concentration when under physical and mental stress.

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Sting in the tail

Then Sunderland boss Mick McCarthy decided to use the North Sea as an ice bath for his players after a training session on Seaburn beach in August 2004, although the ploy was to backfire when Argentinian midfielder Julio Arca was stung by a jellyfish and had an allergic reaction. Arca’s day took a further turn for the worse when it was suggested that acid in urine might ease the pain, although he made a full recovery and went on to help the Black Cats to win the Championship title at the end of the season.

PA

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Bull Shark 3 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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