Will Portugal trip work for Glaws?

There's a theory doing the rounds that Gloucester's decision to start pre-season training earlier than many other Premiership clubs will give them an advantage when the new season starts in just over a month. Now the club believes another change in routine will prove just as useful. 

Not for the first time, the Glaws squad – or, at least, those who aren’t on international training duty or getting married – is getting a chance to knit together as a squad with a week’s training in Portugal.

While many cynics may well sit at home wondering how training in the sort of weather we are never likely to experience in the Premiership season is better than training here, those who make the decisions at Kingsholm believe Portugal is good for club rugby players.

As with the early-start theory, we shall see.

But let’s be controversial a few weeks before the season even starts and ask again, what has Portugal got that Hartpury Collegwe hasn’t got?

Barny Allen, who is in change of strength and conditioning for Glaws, says the trip helps bring the squad closer together.

He told the Citizen: “Because everyone is living and eating together, it allows us to develop the culture within the squad and the environment as much as possible and really kick on with any of the themes that we want to take throughout the year,

"From my point of view it is a great way to train the guys because they can go back to their rooms have a sleep, refuel at meal times and you can make great gains when you are doing that sort of thing.

"It is an excellent way of training. It is not always achievable when your facilities don't lend themselves, but in Portugal their grounds, in particular the facilities, are top notch and we always get a good training week there."

So no facilities that allow us to do that in the UK? Could the money the week away is costing not have been spent better?

Before anybody gets hold of the wrong end of this particular stick, there’s nothing wrong with Portugal and there’s certainly nothing wrong with the idea of building up team spirit in this way.

But could it not be done in, say, Blackpool, or Brighton or Bridlington?

The weather’s probably not as good at any of those great British resorts, but then we can guarantee that playing at Sale in October and at Newcastle in December will NOT remind many Glaws players of their pre-season jaunt in Portugal.

But then, what do we know?

Let’s see how that early start to training and the week in Portugal works when the season starts.