YOU R YOU R GET ER TOGET H SQUA D OF SPONSOR PROUD 30 THE SPIRIT OF RUGBY
FROM THE PRESS BOX By Mark Smith Newcastle Falcons media manager It’s all glamour working for a Premiership rugby team – especially on an away game. Here’s an edited insight into life on the road, from our recent trip to Bristol Bears. FRIDAY – 1300: Team run done, team announced, it’s time to meet at Newcastle Airport for the Easyjet flight down to Bristol. The players’ bags by this time have already left with kit manager Alan ‘The Hound’ Baskerville in the kit van, so they’re at the hotel for when we arrive. Performance analyst Matt Hodkinson ferries most of the coaching staff to the airport before driving the club medical car down to Bristol. This car is needed at every away game in case any players have to go to hospital during the weekend. The players make their own way to the airport, hand luggage only, and we meet at Gate 2. It’s a busy flight, and with tickets booked in alphabetical order I’m sat next to match-day doctor, Dean Shipsey. FRIDAY – 1700: The flight lands on time and our team bus is waiting for us at Bristol Airport, with Sunderland AFC driver Mark at the wheel. The rushhour traffic is pretty bad, which means a delayed arrival at the hotel. The scheduled team meeting is cancelled (the squad had met earlier in the day anyway) and after collecting our kit bags it’s straight in to dinner. As usual, two options – fajitas or pasta. FRIDAY – 2000: Post-dinner our head performance analyst Steve Bremner normally puts the BT Sport Gallagher Premiership game on the big screen in the team meeting room, but there are two games on and a lively debate over which one to watch. Gloucester v London Irish goes on in the meeting room, with England Under-20s’ game v Scotland Under-20s in the medical room. It’s a pretty even split as to numbers watching each. Then it’s off to bed. Gone are the days of the backroom team hitting the town the night before an away game, as was the case when I first started this job 19 years ago. It’s Countdown and a couple of episodes of Bullseye for me before lightsout at midnight! SATURDAY – 0730: The usual breakfast buffet in the team dining room, which for me means grilled bacon, scrambled eggs and beans on toast. There’s also porridge, cold meats, fruit and smoothies for those who want it. The players with young kids at home are invariably the first down on a morning. SATURDAY – 1015: Team walk-throughs, normally in the grounds of the hotel, and then in for pre-match meal. The early kick-off throws our usual meal timings a little, but this is typically pasta Bolognese and veg. I’m already away by this stage, having gone in the medical car to Bristol Airport to pick up skills coach Mark Laycock, who has flown down from Edinburgh after watching the Scotland Under-20s v England Under-20s game. The kit is all set up by the time we arrive at the stadium at 1100 – The Hound is an early bird, to say the least! SATURDAY – 1200: Dean Richards does his pre-match TV interview at the stadium, the players arrive half an hour later on the bus and it’s into the game. Sadly, a 37-21 defeat. Dean and Will Haydon-Wood do post-match media duties, the nonplaying players help put the kit on the van and it’s back on the bus for a six-hour drive home. SATURDAY – 1700: The timing of the Six Nations means we can actually watch an England game for once, and the players eat their postmatch meal (pizza in this case) as we watch Scotland v England on the TVs on the bus. There are a few Scots on board, who enjoyed that result! The usual midway stop at Woodall Services near Sheffield allows the backroom team an opportunity to take on board some more pop, crisps and sweets as they pore over the video of the game, before a 2300 arrival at Kingston Park to collect our cars and drive home. Oh, the glamour of an away trip! www.newcastlefalcons.co.uk 51
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