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Jono Ross uses cattle to maintain his record breaking tackling excellence
The Gallagher Premiership’s most voracious tackler kept his technique ticking over during the lockdown by wrestling cattle on a Zimbabwean farm. England’s top-flight remains indefinitely suspended with no firm indication yet of a restart date.
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However, that absence of a return-to-play date hasn’t led to Sale Sharks Jono Ross taking things easy. Instead, having spent some time on his wife’s family farm near Bulawayo, he took a refined approach to training to ensure his tackling technique remains razor-sharp for the end of the 2019/20 season.
Ross was on course for a third successive season of making more than 300 tackles in the Premiership before the Covid-19 pandemic brought a halt to the campaign after just 13 of the 22 rounds of fixtures were played. The Sale player was on 201 successful hits following his club’s last outing, the 39-0 AJ Bell Stadium hammering of London Irish on March 6.
Nine weeks later, he has revealed that he recently kept himself busy with cattle, mending tractors, welding and fishing while also following the individual programme devised for every Sale player by the club’s strength and conditioning team.
“We were working with cattle and so I was doing a bit of contact work,” said Ross to RugbyPass. “Having to wrestle with calves and work with the cattle during long days was good. During the year we take enough contact, so this six weeks lets the body rest up a bit and just stay strong.
“I wouldn’t do a lot of contact during a normal off-season and this is almost like that depending on what the Government says the goal is to get back playing as soon as possible. At a time of uncertainty like this, it is important people go back and spend time with family and the club felt the same.
“My father-in-law has quite a bit of gym equipment, including a bench and weights, and I worked pretty much as normal. The farm was an essential service, so everything was open and I was able to run and do sprints.
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“From a training perspective it was really good and I did that most days. Our conditioners put together a pretty comprehensive programme for the guys. The backs have been having some Zoom calls to go through things and we have to check in online on our wellbeing app three times a week.”
Ross has become the first of Sale’s crucial African contingent to return to Manchester in preparation for the potential resumption of a Gallagher Premiership where Steve Diamond’s club lie in second place behind Exeter.
#alternativegym #challenge @SaleSharksRugby pic.twitter.com/4vuhcX8h0y
— Jono Ross (@Jono__Ross) March 27, 2020
The majority of their high profile overseas signings – including World Cup winners Faf de Klerk and Lood de Jaeger, and the three du Preez brothers Rob, Dan and Jean-Luc – took the opportunity to fly back to South Africa spend the lockdown period with their families.
Amid increasing discussions about when the lockdown may be relaxed to allow sport to return under strict guidelines, Ross opted to make the journey back to Manchester which involved a flight via Ethiopia to Heathrow, swapping the lockdown rules in Zimbabwe for those being followed in the UK.
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“My wife and I flew back to South Africa and then onto the farm in Zimbabwe. It then got to a stage where there was a lot of talk about sport starting up again, so we returned here.
“That involved a five-hour drive to Harare, flight to Ethiopia and then to London. We were very careful in Zimbabwe ensuring we were as safe and responsible as possible. On the farm, we didn’t come in contact with anyone for those six weeks and we are fine.
“The lockdown in Zimbabwe and South Africa sounds as if it was stricter than in the UK. In South Africa, for six weeks you weren’t allowed to exercise.”
The interruption to the season has allowed injured players like ex-Sale captain Josh Beaumont (knee) and USA Eagles out-half AJ MacGinty (shoulder) to give themselves a chance of playing some part in the club’s bid for a second Premiership title.
“We have to look at things in a positive light and guys like Josh and AJ are getting back from their injuries. There is frustration that we couldn’t play the Premiership Rugby Cup final (against Harlequins) but safety is paramount and all the right calls were made.
“We have to make the best of a bad moment because the break wasn’t ideal and hopefully we can start up where we left off. The hope is that we can finish this season but lives are being lost and we have to follow the Government advice.
“There has been talk around the world about how sport could give people a lift. It may not be the same being on TV without crowds but the quicker we can get playing the better.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Exeter were thumped by 38 points. And they only had to hop on a train.
29 Go to commentsI am De Groot.
1 Go to commentsHad hoped you might write an article on this game, Nick. It’s a good one. Things have not gone as smoothly for ROG since beating Leinster last year at the Aviva in the CC final. LAR had the Top 14 Final won till Raymond Rhule missed a simple tackle on the excellent Ntamack, and Toulouse reaped the rewards of just staying in the fight till the death. Then the disruption of the RWC this season. LAR have not handled that well, but they were not alone, and we saw Pau heading the Top 14 table at one stage early season. I would think one of the reasons for the poor showing would have to be that the younger players coming through, and the more mature amongst the group outside the top 25/30, are not as strong as would be hoped for. I note that Romain Sazy retired at the end of last season. He had been with LAR since 2010, and was thus one of their foundation players when they were promoted to Top 14. Records show he ended up with 336 games played with LAR. That is some experience, some rock in the team. He has been replaced for the most part by Ultan Dillane. At 30, Dillane is not young, but given the chances, he may be a fair enough replacement for Sazy. But that won’be for more than a few years. I honestly know little of the pathways into the LAR setup from within France. I did read somewhere a couple of years ago that on the way up to Top 14, the club very successfully picked up players from the academies of other French teams who were not offered places by those teams. These guys were often great signings…can’t find the article right now, so can’t name any….but the Tadgh Beirne type players. So all in all, it will be interesting to see where the replacements for all the older players come from. Only Lleyd’s and Rhule from SA currently, both backs. So maybe a few SA forwards ?? By contrast, Leinster have a pretty clear line of good players coming through in the majority of positions. Props maybe a weak spot ? And they are very fleet footed and shrewd in appointing very good coaches. Or maybe it is also true that very good coaches do very well in the Leinster setup. So, Nick, I would fully concurr that “On the evidence of Saturday’s semi-final between the two clubs, the rebuild in the Bay of Biscay is going to take longer than it is on the east coast of Ireland”
11 Go to commentsWhat was the excuse for the other knockout blowouts then? Does the result not prove the Saints were just so much better? Wise call to put your eggs in one basket when you’ve got 2 comps simultaneously finishing.
29 Go to commentsReally hope Kuruvoli and his partner rock the Canes.
1 Go to commentsI wonder what impact Samson has had on their attack, as the team seems less prone to trundle it up the middle, take the tackle and then trundle it up again. I lost faith in the coach last year as the Rebelss looked like a 2nd/3rd rate South African team. I also disliked Gordon standing back, often ignored as the forward battle went on and on. Maybe its our Aussie way of not getting off our A***’s until the enemy is at the gate.
86 Go to commentsThanks for the write up. Great to see the Rebs winning, I am a little interested in how they will go against the remaining kiwi teams, I think they’ve only played Hurricanes and Highlanders but how great to see these players performing!! I also see Parling has a job beyond June 30! A good move by RA? Also how do you fix the Rebels previously scratchy defence?
86 Go to commentsbe smart - go black
13 Go to commentsNext week the Crusaders hopefully have Scott Barrett back. Will be great to have the captain back. Hopefully he will be the All Black captain as well.
12 Go to commentsExciting place to be for the young fella. I expected he was French Polynesian when I saw him included in the France 6N squad (after seeing him in NZs), and therefor be strong grounds we might loose him to rugby down here. Good, in that he is good enough to warrant such a profile, and from a journalism’s fan interaction aspect, to finally get a back ground story on the fella. Hope he has settled into NZ OK and that at least one rugby country will fit with him to help his development, which, if so, he should surely continue for a few years, and then that he can experience France to it’s fullest with a bit more maturity and less reliance on family than you would have at his current age. A good 3 or 4 years before he would be ready for International duty if he wanted to wait. Of course he already sounds good enough to accept a call up, and to cap himself, in the more immediate future (he’d have to be very very good in the case of the ABs), and he’ll get a great taste of that being with the Canes who have a bunch who are just a few years further into their career and looking likely Internationals themselves.
13 Go to commentsI remember towards the end of the original broadcasting deal for Super rugby with Newscorp that there was talk about the competition expanding to improve negotiations for more money - more content, more cash. Professional rugby was still in its infancy then and I held an opposing view that if Super rugby was a truly valuable competition then it should attract more broadcasters to bid for the rights, thereby increasing the value without needing to add more teams and games. Unfortunately since the game turned professional, the tension between club, talent and country has only grown further. I would argue we’re already at a point in time where the present is the future. The only international competitions that matter are 6N, RC and RWC. The inter-hemisphere tours are only developmental for those competitions. The games that increasingly matter more to fans, sponsors and broadcasters are between the clubs. Particularly for European fans, there are multiple competitions to follow your teams fortunes every week. SA is not Europe but competes in a single continental competition, so the travel component will always be an impediment. It was worse in the bloated days of Super rugby when teams traversed between four continents - Africa, America, Asia and Australia. The percentage of players who represent their country is less than 5% of the professional player base, so the sense of sacrifice isn’t as strong a motivation for the rest who are more focused on playing professional rugby and earning as much from their body as they can. Rugby like cricket created the conundrum it’s constantly fighting a losing battle with.
4 Go to commentsOh wow… “But as La Rochelle proved in winning in Cape Town this season, a cross-continental away assignment need not spell the end of days.” La Rochelle actually proved quite the opposite. After traveling to Cape town and back they (back-to-back and current champs) got mercilessly thumped the next week. If travel is not the reason, why else would a full-strength powerhouse like La Rochelle get dumped on their @r$e$ one week later?
29 Go to commentsYou know he can land a winning conversion after the full time siren is up. (Even if it takes two attempts.)
5 Go to commentsA very insightful article from Jake. I would love to know how South African’s feel about their move to Europe. Do you prefer playing in Europe or want to go back to Super Rugby?
4 Go to commentspure fire
1 Go to commentsA very well thought out summary of all the relevant complications…agree with your ”refer the Cricket Test versus 20/20 comparison”. More also definitely doesn't necessarily mean better!
4 Go to commentsMust be something when you are only 19 y.o and both NZ and France want you. Btw he wasn’t the only new caledonian in french U20 as Robin Couly also lived in Noumea until 17. Hope he’s successful wherever he chooses to play.
13 Go to comments“Several key players in the Stade Rochelais squad are in their thirties” South Africans are going to hate the implications of that comment!
11 Go to commentsI know Leinster did a job on La Roche but shortly after HT Leinster were 30-13 ahead of them and at a similar time Toulouse were trailing Exeter. At 60 mins Leinster were 27 ahead but after 67 mins Toulouse were only 19 ahead before Exeter collapsed. That’s heavier scoring by Leinster against the Champions. I think people are looking at Toulouses total a little too much. I also think Northhampton are in with a real chance, albeit I’d put Leinster as favourites. If Leinster make the final I expect them to win by more than ten and with control.
11 Go to commentsHey Nick, your match analysis is decent but the top and tail not so much, a bit more random. For a start there’s a seismic difference in regenerating any club side over a test team. EJ pretty much had to urinate with the appendage he’d been given at test level whereas club success is impacted hugely by the budget. Look no further than Boudjellal’s Toulon project for a perfect example. The set ups at La Rochelle and Leinster are like chalk and cheese and you are correct that Leinster are ahead. Leinster are not just slightly ahead though, they are light years ahead on their plans, with the next gen champions cup team already blooded, seasoned and developing at speed from their time manning the fort in the URC while the cream play CC and tests. They have engineered a strong talent conveyor belt into their system, supported by private money funnelled into a couple of Leinster private schools. The really smart move from Leinster and the IRFU however is maximising the Irish Revenue tax breaks (tax relief on the best 10 years earnings refunded at retirement) to help keep all of their stars in Ireland and happy, while simultaneously funding marquee players consistently. And of course Barrett is the latest example. But in no way is he a “replacement for Henshaw”, he’s only there for one season!!! As for Rob Baxter, the best advice you can give him is to start lobbying Parliament and HMRC for a similar state subsidy, but don’t hold your breath… One thing Cullen has been very smart with is his coaching team. Very quickly he realised his need to supplement his skills, there was talk of him exiting after his first couple of years but he was extremely shrewd bringing in Lancaster and now Nienaber. That has worked superbly and added a layer that really has made a tangible difference. Apart from that you were bang on the money… 😉😂
11 Go to comments