The Secret Diary of Matt Banahan, height 6' 6 and ¾
By Patrick
June 7 2010
Welcome to England and Bath Rugby wing Matt Banahan's weekly tour column from England's tour Down Under, from RFU.com - Read on to hear about how training Down Under is going so far, and some of the banter that's around in the England camp at the moment, as the squad prepares for their first game against the Australian Barbarians...
Welcome to England and Bath Rugby wing Matt Banahan's weekly tour column from England's tour Down Under, from RFU.com. The Secret Diary of Matt Banahan, height 6' 6 and ¾ Well, we've been gone almost a week now and I can certainly say that the training - and bonding - is going well, here in Perth. It took the boys a good few days to get over the jetlag, some more so than others, but it's one of those things, you've got to make sure they whole squad's ready before you start the high intensity training. On Thursday all the boys said they were good, so we went flat out all into it then and Friday. We did a bit more Saturday and Sunday, as we get ready for Tuesday. The team was announced this morning and I'm really looking forward to the chance to get out there. We've been well looked after though and we've certainly eaten well, there have been no complaints about the Aussie food! Something else Australia is known for is its beer and although we haven't tested that obviously, we did take a brewery tour which was great. Some of the guys took a jet boat ride around Fremantle, we spotted a school of dolphins and followed them for about 15 minutes - it was an amazing experience. Although we're a big group, it doesn't feel like it, we really feel like one good family. On tour, banter is always a good sign and there's been plenty of that flying about. We've got a darts board, Nintendo Wii and table tennis table in our team room, Delon Armitage struggled losing 7-0 at table tennis in one game before refusing to take his punishment! But it's all part of the deal. There are always people you have to look out for, like Hask (James Haskell). It doesn't matter where you're going or what you're doing, he'll always give it, he's got to be king of the banter! Then there's Chris Ashton, he's just on fire all the time. He's good on the table tennis, he'll try and mess you up and make you make a mistake.
Although it's fun, the banter also gives a great energy. And with midweek and Saturday games, there's some separation at training to get the teams prepared but the banter brings the whole squad back together. Laughter is one of the most important things in life and when everyone's enjoying it, banter brings us all together. And come Tuesday, it'll be really important that we work as a team. They may be called the Barbarians but they're effectively an Australia A team. This is an England team, we're down as England not anything else, and this is the first game of the England tour. We need to set the bar when we go out and let the guys who play in the Test match on Saturday know that someone is pushing them for their place, because of what we've done on Tuesday. Cheers, Don't forget to look out for Matt's next column, out next Monday (June 14).
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As the Leicester Maffia are in charge they probably flew via Los Angeles and Sydney!
Why does taking this Emirates flight help w jetlag?
Unhappiness, where's when I was young
And we didn't give a damn
'Cause we were raised
To see life as a fun and take it if we can
I'm not good at sleeping when I travel, but having a decent night on the plan, followed by a short day and a full night in Aus worked for us.
I flew to Perth for a wedding a few years back. Left at lunchtime and arrived Perth at around midday the next. That was 22 hours including a stop in S`pore.
I was then advised that the stag night was planned for that evening...and if I went to sleep I`d miss it.
Finally got to bed at 10 am the next day. So c.50 hours on the hoof.
Guaranteed to clear up any jetlag.
More effective than a double dose of strong sleeping pills.
Quote:BGF51
You need full recordings of last season's games against Argentina and Italy (plus something to play them on).
Or, to be really spoiled for choice, half the Guinness Premiership matches from this past season. 40-50 low-skilled cures for insomnia there.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:06:08:22:29:37 by tigeroo.
The final was several levels above the quality of recent international rugby.
Another way to fall asleep would be to read the collected 'thoughts' of tigeroo.
I'm not even sure that tigeroo is English. He uses the American spelling of defence, and has also used the word 'gotten' - not very English. On the other hand, his pathetic and boring obsession with the Welsh is unlikely to come from anyone but a very anal Englishman.
If you're on the subject of boring GP rugby - how many games was it before Leicester actually scored a try last season? Five or six, wasn't it?
1) Johnson is brilliant. His appointment to his current job was the single greatest moment in the history of English rugby. Only the abysmal quality of club rugby is preventing him and his world-class coaches from turning England into the all-conquering rugby superpower they should be. Anybody who thinks otherwise is an idiot.
2) Club rugby is, always has been, and always will be rubbish. It can never compare with the unfailingly magnificent high quality of international rugby, which is too complex and brilliant to be grasped by the simpletons who follow the club game. Anybody who thinks otherwise is an idiot.
3) Wales are rubbish. Anybody who thinks otherwise is an idiot.
4) I, tigeroo, from the comfort of my armchair, know more about the game than anybody in the history of the universe, and anybody who thinks otherwise is an idiot.
I admit that the above won't necessarily send you off before the head hits the pillow, but I'd feel guilty about subjecting anybody to large doses of the extraordinary balderdash produced by this deranged Prozac-addicted disciple of our unqualified and depressingly unsuccessful team manager.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:06:09:06:58:35 by BGF51.
Somethings seriously wrong here.
By miles.
Quite right but, as BGF says above, once the ELVs were shELVed we got our game back!