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.
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.
“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.
“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
“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
10 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
24 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
10 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
17 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to comments