England will be ideally prepared for the unique challenge of playing at altitude against world champions South Africa on Saturday, says coach Sir Kevin Sinfield.
The iconic Ellis Park in Johannesburg hosts England’s Nations Championship opener against the Springboks, a venue nearly 6,000ft above sea level and a place where the visitors have not won since 1972.
But having flown out to South Africa 10 days in advance of the game, the players will have had the ideal amount of time to adapt to the conditions, according to Sinfield.
“The timescale we allowed here was supposed to be the optimal time for the average person to have adapted and adjusted to the altitude,” he told the Rugby Union Weekly podcast.
“This is just another challenge for the lads. Our performance team and medical team have tried to give us the best possible preparation for the timelines we have, and it’s part of the challenge of Test rugby in South Africa.”
The lower air pressure at high altitude means fewer oxygen molecules enter the bloodstream.
However, after five days on the ground in South Africa, Sinfield says he has already seen his own body adjust to the environment.
“My blood oxygen level dropped as soon as we arrived, enough for my alarms to be going off on my watch and phone,” he explained.
“But I am very close to where I was originally.”
England’s schedule this summer is a daunting one. After facing the Boks this weekend, they fly home to play Fiji in Liverpool before crossing the equator again for a clash with Argentina in Santiago del Estero.
But for Sinfield the focus is solely on the task in hand this weekend, and he says the whole squad are desperate to be involved against the Boks.
“I’d be very disappointed if any of our 36 lads didn’t fancy it this weekend,” he added.
“Does it get any bigger? Does it get any bigger than this?
“Our job as coaches is to make sure we reach our potential. We’ve got a wonderful squad, a wonderful group of players.
“We’re in a really challenging country in terms of rugby environment and the quality they have and the depth they have. What a great challenge for us.”
