Italy train all the way to Oz
The 30 burly Italians briskly walking through Bangkok airport turned many a Thai head - more so when they began exercising in the departure lounge.
But New Zealander John Kirwan, Italy’s head coach, was determined that his players should not miss the opportunity to limber up between flights.
With the Thai capital their stop-off on the journey to Canberra, Kirwan’s professional approach to the World Cup dictated that any spare time should not be wasted.
Before boarding their next flight to Australia for the rugby World Cup, Kirwan had his players training for an hour and 20 minutes at the airport.
Italy begin their Group D campaign against joint-favourites New Zealand on October 11 in Melbourne and are determined to be in prime shape.
“It was an opportunity that we could not afford to lose because travelling for two days can create muscle problems if you do not take the necessary precautions,” said Italy’s fitness coach Pascal Valentini.
It had taken 16 hours to fly from Rome to Bangkok, and the team were then set for a 12-hour journey to Australia.
Kirwan will let his troops have much of the weekend for leisure, although they will be expected to behave responsibly, with strict training set to begin next week.
“We have to recover when we arrive to Canberra, do some exercises in the swimming pool, and we will start training on Monday,” Valentini added.
