Rugby: Ross Ford is fired up for action again after burn-out on training pitch

ROSS Ford may have been the strongest player in Scotland's World Cup squad for some time, but he has discovered this year that there is a limit even to what he can do.

The 6ft 1in, 27-year-old hooker is a veritable beast of a man, his flexing biceps virtually blocking out the sun behind him, and the pleasant view of the Old Course in St Andrews, as we sit discussing Scotland's potential ahead of tomorrow's opening EMC World Cup Warm-up Test with Ireland at Murrayfield.

As for the width of his quads and calf muscles, 'bulbous' does not begin to quantify them but gives an impression of their strongman-like shape.

It was always thus with Ford, a Head Boy at high school in Kelso, whose appetite for hard work in rugby knew no bounds. Until this year. His insatiable desire had always been applauded by coaches as the model example of what it takes to compete with the best in sport, until the lines on medical graphs began to veer worryingly into the red.

Heart-rates are monitored regularly in games and training and further analysis of Ford's readings towards the end of the RBS Six Nations Championships had the medics holding their hands up and calling 'stop!'. He was diagnosed with "over-training syndrome" and Scotland coach Andy Robinson agreed to withdraw the hooker, along with fellow Edinburgh front-row Allan Jacobsen, and Glasgow players Al Kellock, Richie Gray and John Barclay, from the end-of-season games at their clubs.

He said Ford's case was the most pressing and that had he been allowed to play on his body could have broken down so severely he would have faced as long as two years out of the game recovering.

The decision gave all five the opportunity to wind down for a month with light training and a holiday, before embarking on a full eight-week preparation through June and July for the warm-up Tests and World Cup. After successive summers touring with the British and Irish Lions and Scotland, Ford says he feels better this year and is hopeful that will lead to a new level of consistency.

"I never knew I had that (syndrome]," Ford said this week, "I just knew in playing and training that I was more tired doing things that I would normally do fine. It was really annoying because I pride myself on being pretty fit, but I was feeling worse than I should have been and it was really getting to me. I wasn't feeling as sharp as I should have and wasn't playing as well as I should have been.

"It (heart-rate] was higher than normal for me, but it was nothing dangerous or as drastic as heart attack territory. The graphs showed I was working a lot harder than I should have needed to for my body, and that's why I wasn't feeling great.

"But I'm pretty much like that (full-on trainer]; unless I'm broken I'll keep on going. I don't like to miss sessions. But I'm getting a bit older now and this has made me realise that it can impact on performance, so I've learned a lesson there. That [time off] gave me time to get over the knocks and bumps and put in some good foundations of fitness work a bit earlier than the boys that were still playing. Six weeks was the longest time I have had between starting pre-season and playing a game and that's not enough to really build and improve your fitness. So this helped with that.

"I'm feeling fresh and I think I will benefit and be able to show what I can do now to a high standard again, rather than in the Six Nations where I wasn't hitting the standards I set myself."

Asked whether his problems had made teammates sit up and take note of the demands they place on their bodies, he laughed. "Not really. Most of them just take the p*** out of me. They called me the ‘holidaymaker'!"

Team environments don't change, somewhat reassuringly, but it is a serious part of the game. The Scottish medical team is recognised as being among the best in the world, headed by Dr James Robson, who has been at the sharp end of the sport's transformation over the past 20 years with Scotland and the British and Irish Lions.

He explained: "The trouble with ‘over-training syndrome' is that players don't recognise it easily and tend to think it is a bug or something else. It is described as a physical and mental condition, but athletes are caught in a cycle where they feel their performance has dropped and so they work harder and train more to try and fix it, which only makes it worse.

"It's still relatively rare, partly possibly because it's not recognised and players actually just come to a halt, take time off, then get better and put it down to a bug. But also I think coaches and back-up teams are better at recognising it."

On Ford's fitness now Dr Robson added: "He is as fit as I've ever known him and as strong as ever - all the guys are looking well at the moment - so the decision to rest him really has paid off."

It is a good lesson for rugby players, who in general are bigger, fitter and stronger than they have ever been. Individual athletes tend to be more acutely aware of their body and when it needs unscheduled rest, but it can be a tougher call in a team sport where dropping out may seem like one is letting teammates down, which is where the wealth of analytical information now available can be helpful.

Ford is now likely to ask for the odd session off later in the season, but right now is not for slowing down and is delighted to be given the extra responsibility of being named vice-captain against the Irish.

"Everyone has been working hard in the gym and on their fitness and the rugby sessions have been intense, so everyone is now ready to play games," he said. "There is only so much training and conditioning you can do without the end goal in sight.

"The World Cup selection is there, obviously, but the games are what you do the training for and the boys are all really excited about getting out there to see how we've come on and how we go against the Irish."

l Advance tickets for Scotland v Ireland tomorrow are priced 10 for adults and 5 for under-18s and students, with no concession rates for OAPs. Adult tickets bought in person by cash or credit card at Murrayfield tomorrow - designated turnstiles are open from 9am to kick-off - will cost 15, but still 5 for under-18s and students.