a diary of souTH afriCa (and belfasT

SOUTH AFRICA TOUR DIARY SCARLETS Vs OSPREYS

BEHIND THE SCENES

A diary of our remarkable 18-day adventure to the Rainbow Nation and isolation!

Tues, nov 23

We’re away! Coach leaves Parc y Scarlets, stopping off at the Vale Resort for a training session before we head to Heathrow for our flight. Destination Durban (via Dubai)

Wed, nov 24

After travelling through the night we arrive at our stunning five-star hotel on the beachfront at Umhlanga Rocks. Grey skies and showers greet us but temperatures in the mid-twenties is a far cry from what we’ve left behind.

Thursday nov 25

First training session on SA soil at Crawford International School in Durban. We get an unexpected intruder, a monkey! After the boys have a meal together, news starts filtering through of a new Covid variant detected in South Africa and it looks like the games against the Sharks and Bulls aren’t going to be played.

friday, nov 25

Individuals are sent to isolate in their rooms as management plots a route back home to avoid hotel quarantine. With SA on the UK red travel list and borders being shut, it doesn’t look promising.

saturday, nov 26

We are leaving Durban on a short flight to Cape town to link up with the other URC sides. We board the plane to nods of acknowledgements from the Munster boys who have flown down from Pretoria.

sunday, nov 27

with a flight chartered for all four sides (us, Munster, Cardiff and Zebre) to Dublin, we arrive early at Cape Town Airport, there is a lengthy wait to check-in. We hear news of Cardiff and Munster returning positive Covid tests so can’t travel, an anxious wait for our results, but we’re all clear, relief all round. So it’s just us and Zebre on the flight to the irish capital with Zebre connecting back to Milan.

monday nov 28

We were hoping for different options a bit closer to home, but we learn our quarantine period will be spent in Belfast, or County Antrim to be exact. we’re off the flight, straight onto a couple of buses and heading north. greeted by hotel security at a Holiday Inn Express, ushered off in small groups and guided to our rooms. Our home for the next 10 days. This is Day Zero.

SOUTH AFRICA TOUR DIARY

Tuesday, nov 29

Our routine quickly becomes clear. we have a half-hour ‘yard-time’ slot in the car park to exercise in groups of two or three. Rest of the day is to be spent in our rooms with no physical contact with any other members of the group. Security supervisors on every corridor ensuring no-one breaks the rules. Food brought to our doors. News breaks of news cases in the Munster and Cardiff camps, they are still in SA. We are to test every two days. Happy birthday Samson and Kieran, one they won’t forget!

Wednesday, dec 1

It looks increasingly unlikely that we are going to be able to postpone our opening Champions Cup match against Bristol a week on Saturday. No way boys are going to be able to come out of quarantine and play a day later, only other option is to somehow cobble together a side from home. Quiz night in our camp with Tom Price taking the reins as question master.

Thursday, dec 2

Some boys using their time to upskill and sign up for level two WRU coaching course. SCARLETS Vs OSPREYS

saturday, dec 4

Penblwydd Hapus Blade & will.

sunday, dec 5

Poker Night!

monday, dec 6

S&C team are ensuring regular workout routines - for room and ‘yard’ - keep pinging into the WhatsApp groups. Everyone trying to do the best they can, but only have stretch bands, no weights allowed. Yoga sessions courtesy of former women’s player Alecs Donovan.

Tuesday, dec 7

day 8 of quarantine. After extensive discussions over the weekend, we have decided to forfeit the Bristol game, hugely disappointing, but player welfare has to come first.

Wednesday, dec 8

Home is getting closer. Another zoom chat with a couple of inspirational speakers who have served in the military. Perspective. One more sleep!

Thursday, dec 9

day 10! Bags packed and flight is booked for 1am Friday morning.

friday, dec 10

We arrive back in Cardiff in the early hours, one bus heads to the Vale, another straight to Parc y Scarlets. Not the trip we expected!

with thanks to Capital Pearls Hotel umhlanga rocks, Holiday inn Express Antrim, Emirates, urC, Hifly Airline, Clarity Travel, G4S, Ulster Rugby, Guilt Trip Coffee and Darren Cave, Belfast Hatch, the Fancy Fox, Slims Healthy Kitchen, Yellow Door Deli, Cwmfarm Salami, Oddballs, PAS, Black Box Fitness, Alecs Donovan at YBL.

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