The Canadian rugby team is full of hard men. But they may have met their match this week.
The Canadians, in England to prepare for the six-team Churchill Cup, spent two days training with the Royal Commandos in Lympstone, Devon.
They spent Wednesday in a giant swimming pool, solving tasks designed to improve team building while trying to meet the rules of complicated timed objectives under the stare of chiselled PT instructors.
The chores included everything from hauling six-foot-six forwards in a plastic kayak to players clambering over huge slippery inflatables or climbing up wire ladders attached to the five-metre diving board, only using their arms.
The day before, it was on land, hefting poles, tires and a slew of other objects. The players managed to avoid the demanding marine obstacle course, although they did climb a nine-metre wall.
Coach Ric Suggitt said the players enjoyed the challenge, while realizing the stakes were a lot higher for the military men who normally do such exercises.
"For us, our communication is a necessity on the field. If we miss something, yeah we're going to get scored on. But these guys, in the marines, if they mess up, it's a matter of life and death."
England spent three weeks with the marines before the 2003 World Cup. Ireland A and the New Zealand Maori, two other teams taking part in the Churchill Cup, are also slated to take in the marine training environment.
Suggitt enthused about the welcome the marines gave his team, saying they went out of their way to look after the rugby players. He was also impressed by the condition of the elite soldiers.
"They looked like they had been training their entire life," he said.
Suggitt said some of the younger players stepped up during their challenges, showing their leadership qualities.
It was also a good workout, prompting some players to suggest they should institute similar training back home. Suggitt said light bulbs started popping in his head.
Suggitt and his coaching staff have worked hard in recent years to improve the fitness levels of the domestic-based players who don't have the luxury of a professional club environment. And Suggitt said the marine training showed the program has worked up to a point.
"The marine guys were commenting on how big and strong some of the guys looked," he said. "It's been good. It definitely showed in the games (in Canada) with the carded players against the club players, they (the carded players) were a little bit bigger, a little bit stronger, a little bit faster. That's what we were shooting for.
"But I'd say we're probably three or four years behind (other top teams)."
While the Canadians worked out with the marines in the afternoon, they focused on team defence in the mornings with guest coach Clive Griffiths, who was Wales' defensive coach from 2001 to 2005. Griffiths is a friend of Canadian high performance coach Geraint James and also knows forwards coach John Tait.
Canada opens the Churchill Cup on Saturday in Exeter against Ireland A before taking on the Maori on May 25. The other teams at the tournament are England A, Scotland A and the U.S.
The event is taking place in England for the first time after four years in Canada. England and the Maori have each won the tournament twice.
Scrum half Morgan Williams will captain the Canadian squad, which is missing about eight players who are unavailable because of club or other commitments or injuries.
