Fuller's Gym and Rugby Log
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I know what you guys are saying but i am just about to break into the first team and am going to do exactly what is told of me!<br />
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No rocking of boats from me!<br />
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In fairness their strategy is a bit more advanced than chuck "it about" they are really bearing down on how we take contact and the diamond pods who follow a man into contact, looking for "circular passes" that will be popped to a second trail runner etc....<br />
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What we haven't had yet is a detailed break down of how the laws are changing etc.... going to be some interesting backs sessions coming up both attacking wise where we have space for that extra pass, and defensively.<br />
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Will keep you mo fo's up to speed with how it pans out.<br />
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Oh, came in first on the 2 laps in 2 mins last night. Beginning of season i was middling to tail end so am well chuffed. -
[quote name='Bones']<br />
We're also training for fitness and quick breakdown play. The ground is your enemy!<br />
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There are going to be some big teams who used to grind teams down struggling for the first month or so. I suspect that the December mud bath will equal things out. -
[quote name='Fullermorg']<br />
[quote name='Bones']<br />
We're also training for fitness and quick breakdown play. The ground is your enemy!<br />
[/quote]<br />
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There are going to be some big teams who used to grind teams down struggling for the first month or so. I suspect that the December mud bath will equal things out.<br />
[/quote]I don't think it's going to be too much of a change - especially if it's refereed how it has been so far this year. Big, strong teams are arble to slow down opposition ball a lot easier and take advantage that way. But once you get the ball moving away from traffic... -
In bits after training last night.<br />
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25 mins of fitness - 2 lap 2 mins, 10 shuttles, 5 sets of 5x down-ups, one lap in under 60 seconds etc....<br />
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Then 1 hour 15 mins of contact work. <br />
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Close in pad work and rucking out.<br />
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Close in tackle work and cleaing out.<br />
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Handling drills.<br />
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Backs Moves.<br />
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Final 15 mins of full contact work - 8 vs 8 in limted grid.<br />
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Wrecked today.<br />
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Gym this eve though. -
Fucked the back of my knee in a shitty game of touch rugby on Sunday.<br />
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We have a game this Saturday as a warm up.<br />
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So to summarise - i have trained since early June, had big increases to fitness and forced way into first team squad and.....<br />
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I am now out of contention for a few weeks.<br />
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fluffybunnies! -
Played first game of the pre-season on Saturday<br />
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The result first. We won 64 to nil against Fullerians RFC at their patch. Fullerians were in London 4 last year (the league that we won) and are not up to much but it was a good ease into a game.<br />
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We played 5 - 20 minute sessions with unlimietd changes but they had a squad of near to 35 players, while we had around 23. <br />
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By the end of the match we were racking scores up because of the fitness work we had done since June. The tap and go option allowed us to really up teh ante when they were flagging and make out fitness count.<br />
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From a backs perspective what were the changes:<br />
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5m at scrum time - helped in attack and has made us change a lot of our moves. Last year we were lookin to punch holes around the 10 and 12 channels (using 13 as a ball carrier) before going wider on other phases. This time there wasn't really as much need to switch in those channels etc.. as there was more time to get the ball away.<br />
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Defensively - i didn't see too much different, primarily though because of the standard of the opposition.<br />
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We play Ruislip this weekend coming in our second pre-season friendly (They are London 2 i believe) - will be a much sterner test of our ability to adjust to the new rules and the fitness levels. -
[quote name='BartMan']<br />
So you managed to play, or by saying 'we' your team played...??<br />
[/quote]<br />
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Yeah i played 50 mins. Went to physio and he did the magic sponge and rub a dub dub on the tendon and ham string at the back of the knee and it eased off.<br />
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Game this week is against London 2 team Ruislip (they came 4th last year) - will find out after training this eve whether i am involved with the first team squad for this game.<br />
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Will be an interesting test for us to see where we are and how we are likely to fare in our new league (London 3). -
Game cancelled.<br />
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Coaches didn't tell anyone and made us go through a 3 hour training session on a saturday afternoon.<br />
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fluffybunnies.<br />
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Saracens Amateurs this tuesday. -
We played Old Albanians 2nd team this weekend.<br />
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Old Albanians are a seriously nifty outfit - they are London 1 and pushing for promotion to National 3. Their second team is full of fringe players pushing for places and a smattering of colts.<br />
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Our first team is newly promoted to London 3 and this match had been massively built up by our coaches as a proper test of our fitness and skill work this summer.<br />
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Result -Â Old Albanians 17 - Finchley 15<br />
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Scores were 15 to 10 in our favour as the clock hit 80 mins, they were behind their line. They kicked on to the top of our openside wing, he fumbled it and they went length of pitch - i managed to catch their scorer as he went over the line but couldn't get the ball loose.<br />
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Never, ever been so gutted coming off a pitch in my life.<br />
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Good run out though, and was happy to make my first team debut as 13. Played full 80 mins and didn't feel out of place at all.<br />
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Lot of players back for the first league game of the season this saturday and remains to be seen if i can stay in first team match day squad - that is 18 players (we have a first team training squad of 30 players). Otherwise it is played for 2nd team and trying to make a case for elevation there. -
[quote name='Bones']<br />
Good luck Fuller, we've got Dover mate, just come up from London 3 - any idea what they're like?<br />
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Never played Dover buddy, wrong neck of the woods for us, hell of a trip though (that is old school coach work i reckon).<br />
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On a personal note am well chuffed, as managed to secure myself a starting spot at 13 for the first team/first league game of the season. One of the superstars of our club (a former London 1, Ealing player) was injured and i got shifted in to take his position. So not the first choice 13 at the club, but i have finally started a first team league game for the club, would have been unthinkable in any of the previous seasons i have been at the club and testament to a lot of sweat and training over the past 3 montsh in particular.<br />
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On the negative side.... we lost! 18 - 13<br />
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We played Uiversity College School Old Boy (UCS) away, a team that had been in London 3 for a few years ahead of us and finished mid-table ish last year.<br />
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And i played against the biggest/quickest centre i have played against in my playing days thus far. He was a beast.<br />
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By the end of the match we were definitely on top and fitness meant we were pushing for the winning try at the end, just stopped short on two occasions.<br />
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Enjoyed the step up though and have a taste for it now. -
[quote name='BartMan']<br />
well done that man. Now just need to keep playing at a level that you can't be dropped. Hell, Riachard Kahui makes a good wing for a centre....<br />
[/quote]<br />
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I have managed to get into the first team squad and woudl say that i am the centre they bring in if there are injuries to players etc... the challenge is to move on from there and move our 13 (who is class by the way) across into the 12 shirt.<br />
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Just got to try and consolidate now and crank it up another gear in training. Feel way more confident now after two weeks in the first team and each time having full games at 13 but don't yet feel that i am knocking on the door and close to taking that shirt consistently.<br />
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We shall see.<br />
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Haven't been to the gym in about 2.5 weeks either. Longest time in 3 odd years - was just sooooo tired from ruby training and work that i couldnt make it. Consequently weight has slipped down to around 14stone 7pounds. Need to sort that out and get back to the 14stone 10/11 pound mark. -
Played second team rugby at 12 this weekend against Tring 3's. We won 52 - 30.<br />
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Scored a beaut from half way and tried to "state my case" in terms of getting selected for first team. Was fucking caned by 60 mins, was doing a lot of running to cover for some of the other members of the team and lots of breaks etc... was more tired in this game that i was playing for the first team the week before. -
[quote name='Fullermorg']<br />
Played second team rugby at 12 this weekend against Tring 3's. We won 52 - 30.<br />
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Scored a beaut from half way and tried to "state my case" in terms of getting selected for first team. Was fucking caned by 60 mins, was doing a lot of running to cover for some of the other members of the team and lots of breaks etc... was more tired in this game that i was playing for the first team the week before.<br />
[/quote]<br />
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2md XV again, but we got smashed 52 - 5. Turns out they had sent their first team up and the match result was overturned to a win for us.<br />
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However, we were all dreadful and should be ashamed of ourselves. <br />
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Ones lost to London Nigerians as well. <br />
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Shit weekend. -
First team beat St Albans away this weekend (they were top of the league as well). Coach was apparently almost in tears at the final whistle and boys put in a huge effort.<br />
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Second team beat Hampstead 2 or 3's (can't remember which) away. Had a pretty good game with some nice hits and carries throughout.<br />
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Had excused myself from ones action due to busted middle finger. Can get away with playing with that for the second team but not the teams in London 3 - where my meagre talents need to be 100% to avoid being made to look a right fluffybunny.<br />
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Good weekend for the club mind.<br />
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Been able to do no more than one gym session a week for the past 3 weeks due to work and busted fingers on both hands. Have as a result dropped around 4 pounds. Need to try and get it back on. -
Fucking hell - played Tring 2's for our second team on saturday.<br />
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A mismatch of epic standards! Tring are a London 1 outfit (verging on semi-pro) and they operate an extended first team squad where 1st team squad members<br />
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We had a team of the usual suspects but with our star 10 taken by the firsts for bench duty - bugger!<br />
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They were huge and smashed us from the off - was only 3 tries to 1 at half time, with us dominating for the final 15 mins of the half - but we had 4 injuries, were down to 14 men and they ran riot.<br />
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Haven't ached like this for ages! -
Played for 2nd team this weekend against Enfield Ignations - Beat them 59-7 in a shithouse game.<br />
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Scored 1 but was massively bored.<br />
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Back into the gym proper and supplementing as well. Weight up from 14stone 4 pounds around 3 weeks ago to 14stone 10 pounds.<br />
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Using Cyclone at the moment and have always felt it was the best supplement for strength training - but had to come off it in pre-season as i could hardly walk around without my calves seizing up in cramps. As soon as i went off these stopped so was a bit nervous about going back on it - however, have been through a training session and game now and haven't had recurrence. Basically because i drank more water than i thought humanly possible before hand. Will become obsessive about hydration from now on.