Cayman to face Mexico but players back in school

(CRFU): The NACRA Caribbean Championship round 1 away game vs. Mexico will be played in Mexico City on 15 May. And with a significant number of the team unavailable for the next major match, Cayman Rugby Football Union’s National Coach, Brad Cowdroy (left) answers a few questions ahead of the clash vs. Mexico about how the team will make it through. Hot on the heels of the victory over Jamaica, Cowdroy reveals there are no injuries but there are a few other sticky issues.

Q. After the win against Jamaica has the Cayman Squad suffered any big injuries or otherwise lost any key players?

A. We haven’t suffered any injuries but unfortunately we have lost 1/3 of our starting team due to unavailability. These guys have had to return to University and complete their exams as it is the end of the semester. School comes first so there is not much we can do about this and have had to include some guys that were in the wider training squad to fill their places.

Q. How has the team been preparing to play at 8,000 ft above sea level?

A. On a flat Island it is almost impossible to prepare for altitude, so we had to get creative and think outside the box. We have had the guys do a few runs up tothe highest point on the Island, Mt Trashmore. Not only is this the best altitude training we have available, but it also helps get them used to the smell of the smog that hangs over Mexico City.

Q. What are you expecting from the Mexican team compared to the Jamaican side?

A. We believe the Mexicans will play a lot more structured game than Jamaica did, and will probably play a similar style of game that we hope to. We are confident in our set piece work at scrum and lineout time so hopefully we can gain the upper hand in these areas to allow our backs the time and space they need to score tries.

Q. With that in mind have you been focussing on anything specific?

A. We have continued to focus on our set piece but have also discussed at length the time to work during the game and perhaps more importantly, the time to rest. At 8,000 feet we don’t want to be over working unnecessarily, so we have stressed to the guys not to play ata frantic pace but to keep the game as much as possible to our tempo. Our kicking game will need to be precise in order to allow the guys, in particular our forwards, the time they need to recover.

Follow the game in Mexico with live updates on Twitter by following @caymanrugbytv
Kick off is scheduled for 12:00pm, Mexico City and Cayman are in the same time zone.