Now that the dust has settled on the Championship season, I took the opportunity to have a catch up with Ben Glynn. The formidable Bristol Rugby lock was more than accommodating and i wanted to see how he’s getting on in the off season and discuss his journey into rugby.
When did you know you wanted to become a rugby player?
In college I would say, club rugby was a chance for me to have fun with my mates but when I arrived at college I liked the environment. It wasn’t until I was picked up by the England U18’S that I realised if I took it seriously it could be a realistic career path for me.
Does your training schedule differ now from when you were in the academy set up?
Filton, we were in twice a week working on our strength and conditioning as well as rugby training which helped me greatly in my development. Then when I joined the academy here we trained with the first team, however we’d have separate weights and skills sessions throughout the week. Mainly we were with the first team however in case boys needed to be called up, and that did happen on occasion. Not being a separate entity helped us integrate and once again helped my development.
Have you found the step up to professional rugby hard?
More of a shock to the system, coming from college and then training with seasoned professionals can be tough. However, it forces you to adapt your game and constantly improve which helped me.
In the off season, how much time do you get off?
We get 4 weeks off which is nice. We are given an off season programme which advises us to rest, and the active stuff keeps us ticking over in time for pre season. That way we don’t all spend too much time getting in shape again. Overall though I think its imperative to rest physically and mentally as its a long tough season.
How will you spend your time off?
I love getting away every summer, this summer I’m going to Canada with my partner to see her parents. It will be really good to getting away and chilling out.
Any match day superstitions?
In the past yes, I used to listen to the same songs and get dressed in a certain order. However I’ve stopped them now in case something goes wrong! However I have my pre-match checklist that I follow in no order, but there are some interesting pre-match rituals in the dressing room to say the least.
How long is your recovery period?
A few days, I think its important to do something active the day after a match. Personally I enjoy walking the dog or going on a bike ride, alternatively the boys go for breakfast sometimes. It could be easy to do nothing though! Whats helped this year is the second day after a match we will be in doing light skills and tactical sessions. This helps as it’s helping us recover by not doing contact, but we are still getting some work done.
Your club role model coming through?
Coming through it was Roy Winters and Mariano Sambucetti, they were great role models and playing with them helped me pick up little tips here and there. Sambucetti was one of the toughest men I’ve come across and was a Bristol man through and through, Roy’s work ethic was also something I always admired and I am grateful to them both for helping me and showing me what Bristol is about. Currently its good to have the experience of Mark Sorenson and Ian Evans coming in. I try to tap them up for knowledge when I can to improve my own game, having players of this calibre around me drives me on massively.
Now that you’re flying the nest from the academy, is it exciting to see the talent coming through?
Yes I’m no longer a young gun anymore, but its fantastic to play with players I’ve come through with (George Watkins, Jack Tovey and Marco Mama). Currently though its great to see various players coming through and see the hunger they bring. In my position certainly, having Joe Joyce around helps me because we work hard with each other and I know if I make a mistake he could take my place so its certainly healthy competiton.
Moving forward, how are you looking to improve personally?
Mainly the summer period is the time for that, obviously in season you spot things but the summer gives me a long time to think and use feedback to improve. You’re only ever as good as your last game, so constant improvement is something I strive for.
I would like to thank Ben for his time and I hope he has a well deserved rest. Furthermore I wish him every success next season.
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