VIDEO: Boland's balancing act ahead of Pumas challenge
WATCH as Boland Cavaliers head coach Hawies Fourie and captain Thurlow Marsh speak about their approach in a short turnaround time ahead of their clash with the Pumas.
The Cavaliers have surprised friend and foe thus far in their return to the Currie Cup, collecting a full house of points in their home games against the Cheetahs, Lions and Bulls respectively.
These results have put them in pole position to reach the semifinal stage, but their next challenge is to perform away from home.
Their first stop is this coming Friday against the Pumas in Mbombela, which is a short turnaround time given that they had played their clash against the Bulls on Sunday.
Fourie said it will be a “strange Monday”, but outlined his plans to ensure his side is fresh and ready to go against the Pumas.
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“It’s going to be a strange Monday. We were off for the previous five Mondays,” Fourie told @rugby365com.
“We’ll have a light [training] session on Monday afternoon and do our reviews and train on Tuesday and Wednesday before heading to Mbombela on Thursday.
“Thursday’s session in Mbombela will also be a very light one, just to have a bit of a flush out after the flight and bus trip.
“We’ll have to be smart. It’s important to have the players fresh and ready to go again.”
Captain Marsh, whose day job is being a detective for the South African Police Service, said that balancing his day job with playing rugby is all about discipline and sticking to one thing at a time.
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“It just boils down to discipline. Coach [Hawies Fourie] and the players themselves decided that it will be an alcohol free week, because we know how important this coming Friday is.
“For us as working players, we value recovery, and to rest well is the highest form of that.
“It’s important to have quality sleep after the game before doing your day job the next day.
“As coach mentioned, we’ll flush it out during Monday’s light session.
“It will be a strange Monday, but for us, going to work will be a normal work day.
“When I enter the Boland Stadium, I put the police tools down, and then I’m a rugby player. I ensure there’s a good balance between the two.
“When I’m at work, I’m not a rugby player, and when I’m at the field, I’m not a policeman.
“I don’t like to cross the two [professions] with one another. When I enter the stadium, I ensure that I’m fully focused on what’s expected from me on the day and the coming week.”
