Crusaders lock Tom Donnelly is bulking up after returning from a stint with second-division club Mitsubishi in Japan.
Donnelly joined the Japanese club on loan, after the Crusaders lost their semi-final to the Chiefs last July, but returned to the Christchurch-based franchise having shed a few kilos.
"Physically I am a bit run down but mentally, having got back among the guys, I feel real fresh," Donnelly told Fairfax Media.
"Over the next two or three weeks we will just work on the conditioning. Get into the gym, get a bit stronger and put a few kilos on. If someone gets injured I will be ready to play but at this point I will just freshen up."
Donnelly's rehabilitation means that Canterbury second-rower Dominic Bird is set to be named on the bench - as cover for All Blacks duo Sam Whitelock and Luke Romano - for the Crusaders opener against the Blues in Auckland on Friday.
The former Highlander revealed that although he did not lose too much muscle, due to weight training, he tried to maintain his protein intake by eating red meat but it wasn't always easy.
"I tried but it is really tough over there to get a good cut of steak or get a lot of red meat," explained Donnelly.
"There is a lot of pork, chicken and carbs like rice and noodles. It was part and parcel of it all."
Comments
ferdie says...
George Smith the only player who could bulk up in Japan, he looked like a prop in the PR photo? In news today Jerome Kaino saying he's lost 8kg since playing there.
Posted 01:51 03rd March 2013
three6three6 says...
What an alternative.... pork and chicken..... I think that yer man was probably also suffering from a certain amount of culture shock.... what with lower quality rugby and a tonal language, it must be an interesting challenge. Part of the challenge is also diet and replacing very expensive red meat with some thing else......
Posted 04:53 01st March 2013
DutchWing says...
@masar exactly pro body builders and weightlifters even prefer chicken and turkey to red meat. If this is his excuse, he seriously needs to get better educated on human physiology. Look at Gorillas: (mostly) vegetarians, but you can't deny Silverbacks being buff as ever.
Posted 20:21 27th February 2013
NHsaints says...
@masar my thoughts exactly
Posted 15:52 27th February 2013
georgesmith says...
Good player T. Donnelly.
Posted 09:16 27th February 2013
5Lock4ward says...
This is why I can't take a player seriously when they go to Japan. It's clearly only about raking in the cash and not for improving one's own game or national side aspirations.
Posted 21:32 26th February 2013
masar says...
pork and chicken has protein to bro
Posted 16:02 26th February 2013