Players must pace themselves

IT WAS great to see the pictures of the regional players in Wales finally getting back into light training last week. They looked to be in great shape, too.

I just hope they don’t go too hard, too soon. That would be a mistake. They need to understand that any pre-season, which is what the next five or six weeks will be, is about building the load and learning to cope with the strain once again.

My biggest fear is players picking up injuries through over eagerness and then finding themselves back on the sidelines. That’s not what anyone wants.

The derby matches in August will be targets for everyone, but after that it sounds as though the games will be coming thick and fast. There will be a lot of lost ground, as well as revenue, to make up and players need to pace themselves as they prepare for a season ahead that will be like no other ever before.