Theatre of dreams

Skysports.com heads to Twickenham to take part in a unique training experience with England

Skysports.com's Tony Curtis heads to Twickenham to take part in a unique training experience with England....

It is amazing what difference a few days can make in the world of sport. Picture the scene. On Saturday, 27 lads, me included, are fighting for space in the changing rooms and for a shirt from the kitbag. The pre-match talk is more about the rooming arrangements for our forthcoming tour and who would be out for a few cheeky jars after the game. The match against Halifax RUFC's local rivals, the Vandals, is a rough and ready affair at Ovenden Park and is followed by the coldest showers known to man. Now fast forward a couple of days and suddenly I am in rugby heaven. I am sitting in the luxurious changing rooms within the bowels of Twickenham stadium, my kit is hung up on a peg under my name in big letters and I am just about to join Martin Johnson, John Wells and Graham Rowntree on the hallowed turf for a training session. It is days like this that I am thankful for being a journalist, especially as there is a free lunch at Twickenham - possibly the best food on the press circuit - to come... Having received an invite from Powerade to join a couple of other hacks and some competition winners at Twickenham for the unique training session, who was I to turn them down? Not even my fly-half Toby Turner's best efforts to break my finger with his passing and the combined attempts of the Vandals pack to use me as a door mat for their boots were going to prevent me taking part. Despite my best efforts during my club career, the closest I had got to playing at Twickenham came when I was kid and the back garden as Chez Curtis became a range of different venues depending on the sport. I have been lucky enough to head to HQ through my work and as a fan - but being in the stands just can't compare to being out on the pitch. Even one of the RFU development officers, former Gloucester centre Rory Greenslade-Jones who was helping with a special coaching session, admitted: "This is a special venue, isn't it." However the session was not about taking in the sights, it was about the chance to get an insight into life as an England player, from preparation to training to recovery. Having changed into our snazzy kits, we had a talk from England nutritionist Matt Lovell about the importance of hydration, not only for sport but life in general, as well as managing the diets of players. England full-back Ben Foden, our guide for the day, chips in with comments about different players, while bemoaning the loss of his beloved biscuits from the diet plan. From here we are all weighed and then taken into the England dressing room - which is bigger than some of the clubhouses I have been to this season - to make ourselves comfortable in the 'cubbyholes' that were installed for the players.

Roar

Unfortunately I pick out Martin Johnson's old seat from his playing days, and obviously I do the right thing and offer to move when the man mountain walks in. Johnno, as I can call my new best mate now, immediately makes everyone feel at home as he explains the inner-workings of what happens on matchdays. After a quick tour - and you do need a tour as the facilities are that big - of the changing room, it is out on to the pitch, with the roar of 80,000 fans cheering my name. Okay, maybe there were only about 18 people there - 10 of whom were with the sponsors Powerade - and none of them are really paying any attention to us, but still the goosebumps come up on my arms. The training session is headed by Simon Horner, Phil Duffy and Greenslade-Jones - with Johnno, Graham Rowntree, John Wells and Foden watching. However when it comes to the games, there is no stopping Johnno and Wells taking part - and there is no words to explain the fear that comes with lining up against the World Cup-winning captain. No offence to Wells, but I would rather Johnno was on my side... especially when he gets a pass and comes trundling towards me. Fortunately he sees sense - or the terror in my eyes - and passes the ball on. Relieved to still be alive, I decide a tactical switch to the wing is in order. The move pays dividends as I take a pass, beat my opposite man on the outside before racing down the touchline to score.

Muscle

From the highs of scoring - and beating Johnno's side - it was back to the changing rooms to be weighed again. Bizarrely, I somehow managed to put weight on, although Foden kindly came to my defence: "Muscle weighs more than fat." Good point, Ben, good point indeed... Now if this wasn't enough, we were offered the chance to follow the example of the England squad and have an ice bath to aid recovery. A number of wiser members of those taking part decided to sidestep this generous offer; however wanting to enjoy the full experience, I went for it. Two massive bags of ice and some freezing water after a sweaty training session is not a good combination - and the thought of spending 10 minutes in the bath was hardly tempting. However, in I went and I was shocked to realise they weren't that bad - in fact who needs the bags of ice, when you can head to Halifax. The showers at Ovenden Park snow rather than flow, so perhaps things aren't that different... Powerade is the official sports drink and INNERGEAR of the RFU and the England Rugby Team. For more information and training tips visit www.poweradegb.com/rugby