Browse Sections

• Stockport County FC
• Sale Sharks
• Local football
• Local cricket

Fitness First with Sale Sharks - week 5

30/ 7/2008

WEEK five of our exclusive column with Sale Sharks' head of athletic performance, Steve Walsh ...

SHARKS players are off to France on Friday for the team’s first two pre-season matches, against Perpignan [August 6] and Montpellier [August 9]. Many people head to the region for a spot of rest and relaxation, but Sharks’ men will buck this trend, taking part in two matches and a range of outdoor pursuits designed to team build and develop specific game fitness ahead of the new season.

"We’re going out to Saint-Affrique. It’s a simple place, there’s not a lot to do. It’s out in the sticks, 100 kilometres inland from Montpellier.

I know, because I went out there last weekend to do a reccy on the place and, I can assure you, the lads are going to find it tough, in many ways.

There’s a rugby stadium with a swimming pool next door, that’s the good stuff. The lads will have to bond well with each other or it could be a long 10 days.

In the village there are a couple of traditional French coffee bars, a patisserie and, the highlight of the week, a village street market on Saturday, where they can go and buy some funny tasting sausage, sweaty cheese, made from sheep milk and fruit that everyone has already mauled!

The world famous Roquefort cheese and caves, are only 15 minutes from where we are based, how it got famous I’ll never know; give me strong English Cheddar any day.

We are arranging for the local gendarmes to put a 24-hour watch on the local patisserie, just in case certain players try to jump the fence!

The first two days we’re up in the mountains so that’s going to be more team-building – nobody knows what it’s going to be yet, but it won’t be normal!

Then we go back into Saint-Affrique and it will be - seven o’clock breakfast, train at eight, 11 o’clock in the pool, then other game specific activities in the afternoon.

The pitch is also booked in the early evening when it goes a little cooler, but it depends on the weather because when it’s hot, it’s hot.

The players who have been in from day one of pre-season training are on a down-week from strength and conditioning, however, they are going to be involved in two games, so their week will be very busy with rugby, rugby and more rugby.

In pre-season games it is all about individual performance, for players to push themselves into the top squad selection frame.

Game fitness is a massive factor. It doesn’t matter how specifically I train these blokes, nothing can actually better real game fitness.

The international players, and those who are injured but able to train, are still in pre-season. They will not be eligible for the games in France, however, I have got a challenging training week planned for them."

THE opinions expressed in this column are those of Steve Walsh and do not necessarily reflect the views of the newspaper or its editor.