Gray proves fitness with Olympic standard rowing

Interesting article this morning revealing the lengths Richie Gray has gone to in a bid to prove his fitness for the Lions tour.

http://www.scotsman.com/sport/rugby/top-rugby-stories/lions-squad-richie-gray-s-wait-ends-in-delight-1-2915139

For those outside of Scotland not in the know, Richie Gray has been at Murrayfield for weeks trying to prove his fitness to Dr James Robson, while recovering from his Hamstring injury (I live near Murrayfield and saw him in a shop - absolute giant!). As part of this he has been doing a massive amount of rowing (common for hammy injuries) and even managed to reach Olympic standard rowing times of sub 6 minutes for 2k - the British record is 5m 42s so he must have been close to that!

Sounds like he is going to be in the best shape of his life, if a little short of match practice. Interestingly he has severed all ties with Sale (rules out gametiem this weekend) so he is going to be training non stop over the next month.

Have to say I'm massively excited about Richie Gray playing in Australia in the best shape of his life!!

I saw this in the Herald too - incredible cardio. There's also an SRU training video on YouTube where he's lifting absolutely crazy weights. I think that Gray will really shine on this tour - the ground will suit him, he'll be twinned with a warrior like Evans or O'Connell and he's leaving the Sale debacle far behind.

A word also for Dr James who will be on his sixth consecutive Lions tour. The man is a legend and has seen it all - stopped Greenwood swallowing his tongue, stopped Thom Evans moving and risking paralysis when he cracked his neck, made sure O'Driscoll was safe when he was speared and didn't hurt himself any further and spent an hour a day massaging ossified blood and other waste matter out of Keith Earl's crushed pectoral muscle which ultimately saved his tour.

The injuries in 2009 were horrendous:

Selected but unable to tour in 2009:
Jerry Flannery (Ireland, elbow)
Tom Shanklin (Wales, shoulder)
Tomas O'Leary (Ireland, ankle)

Injured on tour:
Stephen Ferris (Ireland, knee)
Leigh Halfpenny (Wales, thigh)
Ryan Jones (Wales, concussion)
Euan Murray (Scotland, ankle)
Lee Byrne (Wales, foot/thumb)
Brian O'Driscoll (Ireland, concussion)
Adam Jones (Wales, shoulder)
Jamie Roberts (Wales, wrist)
Gethin Jenkins (Wales, cheekbone)
Ronan O'Gara (Ireland, eye)

Amazing fitness there, RDW.

So if he leaves your fine shores now - he'll arrive here in about 33 days 14 hours.
Add a few hours break here and there along the way - so let's say 40 days to row 17,000 km?

Linebreaker wrote:Amazing fitness there, RDW.

So if he leaves your fine shores now - he'll arrive here in about 33 days 14 hours.
Add a few hours break here and there along the way - so let's say 40 days to row 17,000 km?

If anyone can do it. Ritchie can. The boy is a beast!

His height will help immensely with his times but yeah thats pretty impressive.... if he got a decent haircut he could probably cut a few seconds off his best too.

Crikey, it takes me about 4:30 to do 1000m!

Grand job, let him row out there and we can squeeze another on the plane

rodders wrote:Grand job, let him row out there and we can squeeze another on the plane

he'll only do it if Brown is getting his seat!

Actually, we oculd fit Brown and Laidlaw onto his seat. Laidlaw is only a wee fella!

A fit Richie Gray is an asset to any team in the world, so hopefully he returns to the international stage on a rich vein of form.

Gray and O'Connell in the boiler room looks tasty

I had an Olympic standard Row with my wife last night

RubyGuby wrote:I had an Olympic standard Row with my wife last night

Great fitness and i hope he's firing on all cylinders for the tour...we need him at his best,

Also as FA says height and weight is a BIG advantage in rowing...hence why most olympic rowers average about 6'5-6'7...

Just a shame rugby isn't played on rowing machines then. He certainly did nothing on the field this year when he did play for Sale (says the bitter Sale fan). But good luck to him - I hope he has a great Lions tour and his next club turns out happier for him than his time at Sale.

George Carlin wrote:I saw this in the Herald too - incredible cardio. There's also an SRU training video on YouTube where he's lifting absolutely crazy weights. I think that Gray will really shine on this tour - the ground will suit him, he'll be twinned with a warrior like Evans or O'Connell and he's leaving the Sale debacle far behind.

A word also for Dr James who will be on his sixth consecutive Lions tour. The man is a legend and has seen it all - stopped Greenwood swallowing his tongue, stopped Thom Evans moving and risking paralysis when he cracked his neck, made sure O'Driscoll was safe when he was speared and didn't hurt himself any further and spent an hour a day massaging ossified blood and other waste matter out of Keith Earl's crushed pectoral muscle which ultimately saved his tour.

The injuries in 2009 were horrendous:

Selected but unable to tour in 2009:
Jerry Flannery (Ireland, elbow)
Tom Shanklin (Wales, shoulder)
Tomas O'Leary (Ireland, ankle)

Injured on tour:
Stephen Ferris (Ireland, knee)
Leigh Halfpenny (Wales, thigh)
Ryan Jones (Wales, concussion)
Euan Murray (Scotland, ankle)
Lee Byrne (Wales, foot/thumb)
Brian O'Driscoll (Ireland, concussion)
Adam Jones (Wales, shoulder)
Jamie Roberts (Wales, wrist)
Gethin Jenkins (Wales, cheekbone)
Ronan O'Gara (Ireland, eye)

Rumour has it this injury was blue on blue!

George Carlin wrote:I saw this in the Herald too - incredible cardio. There's also an SRU training video on YouTube where he's lifting absolutely crazy weights. I think that Gray will really shine on this tour - the ground will suit him, he'll be twinned with a warrior like Evans or O'Connell and he's leaving the Sale debacle far behind.

A word also for Dr James who will be on his sixth consecutive Lions tour. The man is a legend and has seen it all - stopped Greenwood swallowing his tongue, stopped Thom Evans moving and risking paralysis when he cracked his neck, made sure O'Driscoll was safe when he was speared and didn't hurt himself any further and spent an hour a day massaging ossified blood and other waste matter out of Keith Earl's crushed pectoral muscle which ultimately saved his tour.

The injuries in 2009 were horrendous:

Selected but unable to tour in 2009:
Jerry Flannery (Ireland, elbow)
Tom Shanklin (Wales, shoulder)
Tomas O'Leary (Ireland, ankle)

Injured on tour:
Stephen Ferris (Ireland, knee)
Leigh Halfpenny (Wales, thigh)
Ryan Jones (Wales, concussion)
Euan Murray (Scotland, ankle)
Lee Byrne (Wales, foot/thumb)
Brian O'Driscoll (Ireland, concussion)
Adam Jones (Wales, shoulder)
Jamie Roberts (Wales, wrist)
Gethin Jenkins (Wales, cheekbone)
Ronan O'Gara (Ireland, eye)

George, Dr James Robson epitomises the Lions for me. I have all of the Lions videos and DVDs (nerd!), with the behind the scenes stuff. It fascinates me and I love seeing the way the players are brought together, squad selection decisions, training, etc., but the best bit is probably the medical stuff. Robson really puts his heart and soul into it. The real embodiment of what it is to be a Lion, even though he's not a player. I think ALL staff involved need to have that Lions ethos running through their veins, and a 6th tour for the man is testament to that - he's got it!

You sometimes just have to wonder about these athletes, have they got nothing better to do than training?

At the ripe old age of 44 a few years back I started training seriously again after some years doing little exercise.

So I had to really work within certain time constraints to be able to fit in a good exercising regime.

Every afternoon at 3pm, my training buddy and myself went to gym to do cardio and weights, and I tell you it was a tough year. Between training injuries, work, dieting, protein shakes etc. It was really very challenging.

Wish I had the time these guys did, it just makes me envious.

I'm more of the healthy mind variety myself and the rest just takes care of itself

Dr James Robson is one of my favourite things to do with Lions tour - an absolute legend.

I know rowing isn't directly related to rugby, but it shows that he is in top condition.

I wonder what other rugby players manage on the 2k? Sounds like a horrible thing to do...

RDW_Scotland wrote:Dr James Robson is one of my favourite things to do with Lions tour - an absolute legend.

I know rowing isn't directly related to rugby, but it shows that he is in top condition.

I wonder what other rugby players manage on the 2k? Sounds like a horrible thing to do...

I rowed a little bit at uni and remember being so physically knackered after an indoor rowing competition that I couldn't actually unstrap my feet from the ergo machine. The coach had to do it for me and let me roll off the machine onto the floor (was a decent time though...). It's utterly gruelling, people were frequently sick next to the machines, and that time from Richie Gray is insane!

I tried to get back into it two summers ago and after two 30 minute ergo sessions I promptly gave up and went back to "light" jogging.

I now consider my 20 minute walk to Murrayfield a key part of my exercise regimen....

RubyGuby wrote:I had an Olympic standard Row with my wife last night

Brilliant, Ruby

funnyExiledScot wrote:

RDW_Scotland wrote:Dr James Robson is one of my favourite things to do with Lions tour - an absolute legend.

I know rowing isn't directly related to rugby, but it shows that he is in top condition.

I wonder what other rugby players manage on the 2k? Sounds like a horrible thing to do...

I rowed a little bit at uni and remember being so physically knackered after an indoor rowing competition that I couldn't actually unstrap my feet from the ergo machine. The coach had to do it for me and let me roll off the machine onto the floor (was a decent time though...). It's utterly gruelling, people were frequently sick next to the machines, and that time from Richie Gray is insane!

I tried to get back into it two summers ago and after two 30 minute ergo sessions I promptly gave up and went back to "light" jogging.

I now consider my 20 minute walk to Murrayfield a key part of my exercise regimen....

On the subject of backroom staff, anybody know if Rala's going to be on this tour, really enjoyed his contribution in 09

Aye that guy was brilliant!

The Englsih Physio guy was good too – was brilliant when he had the dance music pumping out and got the random workman onto the bus with his flag!

RDW_Scotland wrote:Aye that guy was brilliant!

The Englsih Physio guy was good too – was brilliant when he had the dance music pumping out and got the random workman onto the bus with his flag!

Paul Stridgeon I think it was? He's an ex-British wrestler, and rumour has it, he wrestles every new man that comes into the England camp. Apparently no one has ever beaten him.

Hard to believe, because he's quite a slight guy, but true apparently!

RALA'S BOOKED TO TOUR WITH THEM

THE 3-0 WHITEWASH TO THE MIGHTY LIONS IS BACK ON THE CARDS BOYS

Looseheaded wrote:RALA'S BOOKED TO TOUR WITH THEM

THE 3-0 WHITEWASH TO THE MIGHTY LIONS IS BACK ON THE CARDS BOYS

Bugger the selection disappointments – the Lions are back on track!

Have to say the 09 tour was brilliant for off-field banter. Closest to rivalling the 1997 fun and games.

I must say I admire your overwhelming confidence in the lead up to this most difficult and dangerous assignment,...... 007.

It's not an ordinary oar, 007. Note the blade. "Click"

Oh, very clever I must say. Gives a new meaning to 'getting more chop in the water'

Not just on the water, 007. On land too....

RDW_Scotland wrote:Aye that guy was brilliant!

The Englsih Physio guy was good too – was brilliant when he had the dance music pumping out and got the random workman onto the bus with his flag!

Yeah that was class. I downloaded that Dario G, Sunchyme because of that.

Great news about Rala too.

I don't normally bother my backside on the rower, but I'm interested to see how close I can get now. I expect at first I'll be miles off.

Rev, I coasted thru 2,000m in about 5hours, 42mins and the seconds just seemed irrelevant

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:Rev, I coasted thru 2,000m in about 5hours, 42mins and the seconds just seemed irrelevant

Think that'll comfortably be faster than me.