We had a full week off following the Six Nations, but one in which we were not allowed to participate in any physical activity. It was a bit strange not to be doing anything, and also boring. But I suppose our bodies need some rest before we head into preparations for the World Cup.
Our focus at the moment is ensuring players sort out any injuries or niggles that they picked up during the Six Nations. Our training programmes at the moment consist of just body weight exercises and to make sure we have proper technique in any exercises that we are doing. We are also doing a fairly intense cardio programme, but most of it is on machines to give our joints a break from all the running.
In May we will have three weeks off all rugby, but we will be still working fairly intensely in the gym. Us players have made a commitment to each other to put everything in to the build-up to the World Cup, to ensure we are the best prepared that we can be.
The selection for the World Cup squad is totally open at the moment, with the coach eager to get to see any player eligible in order to guarantee he has the best 26 going to London in August.
Getting back into club training has been going well, too. It took one session to re-familiarise ourselves with the calls and systems that we play, but once that was done we were back at full tilt.
At the moment my club UL Bohs are still in cup and league competition. Last weekend saw us play Highfield in the AIB Cup semi-final, with the winner of that game going on to meet Blackrock in the cup final next weekend (we trounced them 23-12).
Our cup team have been doing very well to get to this stage, considering a number of team members who have to play out of position due to the unavailability of international players.
Meanwhile, in the league we were set to have a home semi-final against Cooke – another tough team to break down, who are very physical and relish the contact area. We will need to be very clinical and on top of our game to reach the league final. While many teams are finished, we still have everything to play for.
Who would have thought that a rugby match would open the pubs on Good Friday? The clash between Leinster and Munster took place last Friday evening, and with these two great rivals meeting, it was bound to bring a thirsty crowd.
Although the game wasn’t full of exciting breaks, it certainly displayed the incredible tension between these two great teams. The match started at a frantic pace, and though the speed died off, there was still no quarter given.
There were battles across the pitch, but none more so than in the Number 10 position. O’Gara showed composure throughout the game, but Johnny Sexton demonstrated great mental strength to slot the final kick to win it for Leinster. It could have gone either way, but I’m delighted they won.
Fiona Coghlan is an Irish International rugby player. Her column appears every fortnight in Metro Éireann
