McMahon lands in hot water
RUGBY UNION: Sean McMahon has revealed the offbeat ritual that will fire him up to topple England’s 124kg goliath Nathan Hughes – a hot shower while teammates are already kitted up ready to play.
The full-on Wallabies backrower knows fellow players think it’s a bit weird but McMahon is sticking with what works for the biggest Test of the tour at Twickenham early on Sunday morning.
It’s not that McMahon (pictured) needs to wash away the dirt from pre-game forward drills, he just likes the extra shower before dressing in gold.
“I always have a shower before I run out on to the field. That’s how I get myself fired up for a game,” said McMahon, who uses it as a convenient time-waster as well.
“It is a decently hot shower and gives you a little bit of a burn, a way to bring you to life and switch you on.”
Former tennis star Martin Hingis always found a way not to tread on the court lines between points, five-time champion Bjorn Borg would grow a beard especially for Wimbledon and there are countless more sporting superstitions.
McMahon applies plastic wrap around his strapping and tattoos before taking the plunge.
“The other boys are putting on their socks while I’m putting my towel around my waist and heading into the shower, so yeah, there’s always someone thinking I’m a bit weird,” McMahon said.
The 100kg McMahon will give away 24kg to the Fiji-born Hughes, who has a strong running game plus a knack for one-handed offloads.
“The bigger they are, the harder they tend to fall,” McMahon said.