French learn how to beat jetlag

The French rugby team have taken advice from their football counterparts on how best to combat jetlag.

The rugby team doctor Daniel Servais has been in close contact with Jean-Marcel Ferret, who looks after Jacques Santini’s superstars, and the French rugby squad are set to benefit from the shared knowledge.

They arrived in Brisbane today after a long-haul flight from Paris, and although the team appeared settled and in good spirits, Servais fears they may be exhausted by the weekend if a special fitness regime is not put in place.

Ferret has suggested that the thigh injury which Zinedine Zidane suffered prior to last year’s football World Cup may have partially been due to fatigue from flying.

And Servais said: “Tiredness usually appears between the third and fifth day after the arrival in the country.

“And Zinedine Zidane injured himself on the third day during that friendly with South Korea who were not a great team but pushed the French team hard though.”

To avoid unexpected injuries to players, Servais has devised a special training programme.

“We were advised to do strong mental preparatory work, intellectual exercises to shake up our brain which might have been fogged up by a long trip,” said Servais.

“They will also have to do two hours of physical work to activate their bodies which need to quickly adapt to the local time, and brief but intensive efforts are what they need.”

France have another 10 days before starting their World Cup campaign against Fiji on October 11.

They will then take on Japan, Scotland and the United States.

“The aim now is to win all our pool matches,” Servais added.

“We have to go into each match to destroy our rivals. There is no need any more to talk and think, or wonder what we have done before was good enough or not.

“The players have a special timetable for the World Cup under their nose, and they have to fill it in with positive results.”