Tour Diary – Recovery And The Future
First caps, recovery and the future is green all feature in today’s tour diary as the Ireland squad settle into Port Elizabeth to prepare for the third Test against the Springboks next Saturday.
The squad have arrived in balmy Port Elizabeth and the process of recovery and preparation are well under way ahead of the third and final match of the tour next weekend.
The players, coaches and backroom staff travelled from Joburg on Sunday evening after a rest day with plenty of recovery built in – at this stage of the season it is as important as all the hard work on the pitch and in the gym.
They got another warm South African welcome on arrival at the team hotel on the boardwalk:
The result may not have gone our way on Saturday, but there are new caps in the squad and that is always something to celebrate and be proud of:
A very proud weekend for me and my family,extremely honoured to be part of this group,thanks for all the support? pic.twitter.com/IkKxavOIxE
— Quinn Roux (@QuinnRoux) June 20, 2016
The non starting XV players head to the gym, while the first XV from the second Test have a little more recovery time and a dip in the ocean to refresh the tired bodies:
After lunch, there is media with Joe Schmidt talking to Irish Rugby TV, while team manager Michael Kearney confirms the bad news on Robbie Henshaw whose tour has been ended by a knee injury.
Meanwhile, Conor Murray says that while he is physically well after the match there is a mental anger in the squad and a determination to fix the mistakes they made:
With media duties taken care of, the squad head off for a light walk-through session following the Monday review session.
In the evening it is time to settle in and watch the potential future stars of the game take on Argentina as the Ireland Under-20s bid for a place in the World Rugby U-20 Championship final:
Watching the U20s on a very big screen in Port Elizabeth. #TeamOfUs #shouldertoshoulder #FutureIsGreen pic.twitter.com/gB9kxIZTY6
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) June 20, 2016
The future is definitely green after the inspiring performance of Nigel Carolan’s youngsters who book their place in the final with a four-try 37-7 win over Argentina.
Tuesday will see the senior side back on the training pitch with plenty to work on for next Saturday’s series decider with the ‘Boks at Nelson Mandela Stadium.
Tour Diary Week 1: Cape Town
Arrival In Cape Town – A warm welcome and a dip in the sea
Training Day – An intense session against an incredible backdrop
SharkCopter – A day of rest with great white sharks
Team Announcement Day – the team for the first test is announced
Captain’s Run And Coaching Kids – Last run-out in Newlands and a school coaching session
Match Day & History – Ireland beat the Springboks for the first time in South Africa
Travel Day – Farewell Cape Town, Hello Johannesburg
Tour Diary Week 2: Johannesburg
Making A Splash – A pool recovery session and watching the Euros
Altitude & Joost – Training at altitude and a chance to meet a legend and hero
Team Announcement 2 – 10 changes and three new caps for the second Test, and some serious skill from Eoin Reddan
Match Day In Johannesburg – Heartbreak for Ireland as the Springboks level the series
Tour Diary Week 3: Port Elizabeth
Recovery And The Future – Sea session, mental anger and looking to the future