Day Two – New Zealand Tour

Day Two – Tuesday June 4th.

A bright fresh morning greeted the early risers, Ronan O’Gara, John O’Neill, Tyrone Howe and Dr Mick Griffin, who were down in the breakfast room quite some time before the scheduled 8pm set out in the itinerary and handed out at dinner the previous night by Paddy Rala’ O’Reilly.

Everyone had benefitted from an early bedtime and body clocks were quickly winding back into motion. After breakfast Mick Griffin and Ailbe McCormack set about strapping those players that needed binding and at 9.45 the squad set off to the Alpine Stadium for the day’s training session.

‘Rala’ had already set up his stall on the touchline by the time the squad arrived with bottles of water neatly lined up beside rows of Powerade along with the usual quota of fruit, chocolate and energy bars.

Once again the session was conducted in brilliant sunshine and there was a greater intensity about this morning session compared to the previous day.

Declan Kidney took charge of the back drills with defensive coach Mike Ford in close proximity. At the other end of the field Eddie O’Sullivan and Niall O’Donovan worked with the forwards. In all, the session lasted just over two hours and ending just after noon and with David Humphreys and Ronan O’Gara left behind to practice their kicking the rest of the squad took themselves off to the Community Sports Centre for a pool session.

It was all back to the hotel for a 1pm lunch and an afternoon of weight training with dinner scheduled for 6.30. After that the players have the evening off which means they can go out for a walk about town but most opted to stay indoors, the effects of the journey still having an effect.