Tindall: I'm fitter than ever
Gloucester and England's Mike Tindall says he has never worked harder during a pre-season campaign than the current one he's involved in.
He also says that the strenuous fitness routines in training have meant that he feels in better physical shape than ever before. This is very important for Tindall who is now rapidly approaching the end of his playing career as he is 31 years of age.
Tindall is one of the most experienced players at the club and it's important for him to set a standard at all points during a season and this includes pre-season. The harder he works, the harder the rest of the team will work and the fitness of the entire squad will increase.
Tindall has a high number of other attributes to go with his physical fitness. Gloucester are shaping up nicely and look as though they'll have a very well organised unit this season.
Tindall quality
The fact that Tindall has apparently worked so hard during pre-season is praise of his attitude and work ethic. It will be very easier for slightly older players to slack off during pre-season but Tindall still has some ambition left in the game.
It's very important that he gets stronger during pre-season because he plays right in the middle of the pitch. This means he is constantly involved in the play and needs to be strong and fit in order to play well for a whole 80 minutes.
Experience is everything and Tindall has been involved in many pre-season routines during his career. He would have known the importance of getting fit before the first game because this can often be the fine line between getting off to a good or bad start.
He said: "It has been tough, probably my toughest really in terms of running for a long time. The game goes through ups and downs and we have gone for a bit more of a running base at Gloucester this year, so it has made it tough. With the law changes you are going to get quicker rucks than you used to, so it is more like Super 14 now."
Better chance of success
Gloucester are giving themselves a better chance of success by being so harsh during the pre-season campaign. Increased fitness will make them sharper physically and mentally and it will give them an edge over weaker sides in the Premiership.
It will also mean that the side stays very compact and well organised. This in turn will make the unit hard to break down and it will mean fewer defensive errors over an extended period of time.
Tindall added: "You still do a lot of weights and power stuff with the speed, but it is getting the blend right with the running and the fitness side of it, so it has been a nice balance so far - We were scoring 20 to 30 points away from home and were still losing games, and you cannot do that, so we have made a few adjustments there and hopefully they will work."
Betting advice
Everything looks good if you are a Gloucester fan or if you are thinking of backing the team to do well this season. Have a punt on them but remember there are other stronger sides in the Premiership and the European competitions.
Avoid any bets on Tindall. He will get forward now and then but he does not go over the line enough to make any bet on him to do so productive. Find another player in the Gloucester team such as the kicker who you know you will be able to rely on over the course of a season.
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