Early return for core group
The first group of players reported back to Llandarcy for pre-season training on Monday, where they underwent a series of fitness tests under the watchful eye of Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, Mark Bennett.
The full squad will be returning back in stages over the summer, with the Welsh squad members from the Japan trip returning on July 15th, Wales U20 representatives currently competing in the Junior World Championships in France coming back two weeks later on the 29th, and the Lions representatives reporting back for duty on August 5th.
The core group of 35 players, including new scrum-half Tito Tebaldi (pictured), checked in on Monday with the majority taking part in a range of tests to assess their speed, agility and endurance overseen by Bennett along with Conditioning Coach, Kevin Morgan.
The tests undergone by the players have been specifically designed to test speed, agility and endurance, with a number of targets set for each individual player before they headed off on summer holidays to ensure they returned to training in the best possible condition.
Data from this week’s testing period will be used as the basis for individual training plans for each player as they build towards the opening weekend of the RaboDirect PRO12 campaign at the start of September, with the other returning groups of players all undergoing similar tests as they return to Llandarcy through the summer.