Why Super Rugby trials are hard but worth the effort

A week away from the start of the Super Rugby competition, having completed our trial games, the age-old question is raised: are trial games beneficial to the teams involved?

Pre-season started in October for non-Wallabies’, so playing matches has been a long time coming. Training for the sake of fitness is hard work.

Ask any professional what they love about their job and not one will say pre-season training.

It’s about playing. By February everyone is keen to get back on the field and put their training to use.

However, there is an argument that the rugby season is already long and taxing enough without adding games. I see both sides of the argument.

There are plenty of arguments in favour of trials. All the running and weights you do in pre-season does not replicate match fitness. This can only be achieved by slogging it out and getting those first few games under your belt.

Even after 10 seasons it takes a couple of games to blow out the cobwebs and get the body adjusted to the rigours and punishment of a rugby game. The lungs burn, the body aches and the legs feel like lead.

Getting these games into the body before the season allows me to be truly ready for competition from the first minute of the season.

Then there’s the issue of combinations. The Emirates Western Force has 13 new players within the squad of 30 this year. At least half a dozen will be regulars in the 22. Trial games give an idea of the playing style of new players, and how they’ll interact with existing talent.

It also allows new players to adjust to the Force style. Every player brings something new, and learning what they have to offer and how to read each other can only be done in match situations. Trial games allow coaches to experiment with combinations and positions for new players.

Trials also provide the chance for new players to test their capabilities against top-quality opposition. It can be a shock for club rugby players to see how much faster and harder the game is at this level. A club superstar is no guarantee to excel.

Ben “Dog” McCalman was recruited by the Force from Sydney University Rugby Club in 2010. His first taste of Super Rugby was the trial against the Stormers in Cape Town. It was evident that he was up to the standard, and he became a presence on the bench early in the season.

With an injury to David Pocock, Dog got his first Super start. Impressively after his first season Dog was called up to the Wallabies, and the rest is history. It was a rapid rise to rugby heights that is far from the norm.

The Force this season gave a taste of Super trials to seven Perth club players and six uncapped imported players. If three of them get their first cap this year it would be a huge achievement. Keep an eye out for young talent Ben Seymour (10) and Angus Cotrell (6 or 8) this season, who are my pick of the bunch based on trial form.

Trials are the best way to test squad depth in a game where prolific injuries are a reality.

Injuries, though, also cause the main argument against trials. Any game of rugby risks injury to players, as we have already seen with the Warratahs losing Lochie Turner for the season. Any time you run on the field your body is truly on the line.

Injuries happen and they are unavoidable. The Force have been fortunate during our trials to have only had minor injuries to Sam Wykes (hamstring) and Nick Cummins (calf). Both will be back to full fitness in a week or two.

Poor trial results can affect confidence in the side, of players, fans and the media. The Force have had poor scoreboard results in both of our trials. While winning trials is positive it is not the focus of the games.

In the first trial against the Brumbies I captained the second half. We had seven penalty opportunities to take kicking points and I did not take any of them. For me, kicking practice can be done in your own time. My focus was on getting experience with our scrums and lineouts.

The easy points would have kept the media and possibly fans happy, but that wasn’t our priority. We weren’t going to win by the boot under my watch. We needed to attempt to score tries.

When you win a trial it does inspire faith in the fans, and the media are a lot kinder to you. I would hope, though, that my teammates see the trials for what they are: opportunities for match fitness, lessons on where we need more work, and chances to learn to play together as a cohesive unit.

With the extended competition and so many Tests this season, player workload needs to be managed. So do you risk player fatigue by playing trials? This is a serious concern for Wallabies, as they finished international duties on December 2 last year, and the first Super game is February 24.

There is little time to recover from the physical and mental toll of that much rugby.

Our coach Richard Graham managed the return of players according to their individual needs. Players who do not play for the Wallabies have not played a Super game since June 17 2011. These players are game-fresh and fit after a gruelling pre season; they are gagging for a game and the opportunity to do what they love.

I think that as long as the Wallabies and older players are managed through trials there is a benefit to the entire squad.

Ultimately, I feel that the benefits of trial matches far outweigh the negatives. I feel ready for game one on the back of two hard trial games. I have a better idea of the capabilities of my teammates and feel that cohesion is developing between new and established players.

The recovery from the trial games is always the hardest on the body. I’m glad that the morning afters are over for another year, and that I’m not going through this during the season proper.

Now bring on the Brumbies in Canberra on Friday night.

The Roar welcomes Matt Hodgson to the site. Matt is a current Wallaby, inaugural Western Force Player and contributor to The Roar. Matt is focused on rugby but excited by the next phase of his career in Sports Management, Training and professional endeavours. Check out www.matthodgson.com.au for the latest.