England ramp up World Cup preparations in extreme temperatures in Italy
England ramp up World Cup preparations amid extreme temperatures in Italy, with Steve Borthwick keen to test his team’s ability to function under pressure
- England is preparing for the World Cup in France that starts in September
- Steve Borthwick has taken his squad to Italy, where they are dealing with extreme heat
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England are stepping up their World Cup preparations in the melting pot of an ‘extreme’ heat camp here in northeastern Italy, where European temperature records could be broken this week.
Steve Borthwick’s national side worked under the blazing sun at Verona Rugby’s state-of-the-art Payanini Center – with 41 players taking part in the sessions and Bath center Ollie Lawrence also on hand to continue his recovery from his knee injury .
It was over 40 degrees Celsius while the Red Rose players trained, with the attackers doing particularly intense exercises in the harsh conditions.
This is exactly what the head coach wanted. Borthwick chose to bring England here to put them to a test of their ability to function in uncomfortable conditions – as well as the excellent facilities on offer. “When we suggested to the players why we came to this camp in Verona to train in the heat, one was for physical adaptation,” he said.
“There are physiological benefits and it affects the way you think. You think clearly under a different kind of pressure and it’s about challenging the players to think in the situations we give them when they’re under the physical and emotional strain of training in the heat. I said to the players: we are here to develop physically, to develop our thinking and to develop tactically.’
England are ramping up their World Cup preparations in Italy’s extreme temperatures
Head coach Steve Borthwick is eager to test his team’s ability to function under pressure
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The evening session here in England involved a workout of about 50 minutes, with regular breaks to rehydrate. Borthwick, in consultation with his head of strength and conditioning, Aled Walters, decided this week to opt for a heat camp instead of the high altitude alternative, which is the approach Wales has taken by heading to the Swiss Alps. to move house.
The goal is to be ready for extreme sports on the global showpiece this fall. “You have to be physically equipped for the toughest situations in a match,” said Borthwick. “There are extreme moments in a match and test matches are so tight. So if you’re not conditioned to those extreme moments, those are the ones that can break you.
‘If you are better conditioned than the opponent for those extreme moments, you get the crucial score in a match. If not, you might concede the crucial score, or make a bad decision or a great one, depending on how you’re conditioned. We have to be conditioned so that we are equipped to play how we want to play in the most difficult conditions in a test match.’
The England players will train hard over the next few days, but will also have some rest before flying home on Saturday, awaiting a return to their usual base in Surrey, to count on to the World Cup warm-up games in August against Wales – twice , Ireland and Fiji. Borthwick will announce its final 33-man tournament roster on August 7; two days after the opening warm-up against Wales in Cardiff.
It was over 40 degrees Celsius when the players trained in the city of Verona on Tuesday
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