CLOAK and dagger pre-season tactics from the Kingsholm coaches will pay big dividend in the new season, believe Gloucester's trusting stars.
Furtive behind-the-scenes planning from boss Nigel Davies and his coaching team mean the Cherry and Whites squad know scarce little about what lies in store in the impending weeks of hard graft.
Rugby director Davies, strength and conditioning boss and CEO Steven Vaughan are the only three Kingsholm men who know the destination of the pre-season tour planned for early August.
And former Royal Marine Anson has admitted one day each week in pre-season will be given over to team building exercises, and potential trips away from the country.
Gloucester start pre-season training on Thursday, with a day of testing.
After that, the players know very little – but while they are busy trying to sniff out morsels of information here and there, they remain relaxed about a schedule shrouded in secrecy.
Back-five forward Tom Savage said pre-season shock tactics are designed to help the Gloucester squad cope with unusual or testing situations in the heat of Premiership battle.
The 24-year-old explained: "The surprise element works well, because we have to adapt to whatever scenario we find ourselves in during matches.
"We can't affect things when we go to away fixtures, the referees change or personnel for opposition sides change and things like that.
"So I think they like the element of forcing us to adapt to different situations at the last minute.
"We go out there and have a good time, and relish the team building work.
"But subconsciously as well as enjoying what you are doing you are also reacting to the sorts of things you have to do on match day."
Gloucester travelled to Tignes in the French Alps for last summer's pre-season tour, reaping the benefits of altitude training to boost long-term squad fitness.
And just days before their pivotal Premiership clash against Saracens at Kingsholm in April, Davies took the whole squad coasteering in west Wales.
The Cherry and Whites promptly won that league clash 28-23 and secured their Heineken Cup qualification.
Centre Henry Trinder believes the change of scenery mixed with fresh mental challenges combine to make these trips extremely beneficial.
The 24-year-old said: "You see the boys every day in rugby, in the same environment, and sometimes you just need to get away from that.
"We've done that well.
"We went coasteering down in Wales, we had a very, very long coach journey to get down there and gave the coaches a lot of stick for that.
"But we had a great time, a few boys got smashed by waves and fell off rocks, and that was the week in build-up to the Sarries game.
"So it shows what trust the coaches have in those theories of getting the boys away.
"We had a good victory against Sarries as well.
"We went to Tignes last year, it was great, white water rafting, helicopter rides and things like that.
"When you add in that excitement factor as well, it's great.
"New coaches, players and staff have to come together quickly.
"But if you've got that gel and bond with the boys outside of rugby then the rugby itself comes together all the more quickly and strongly."
