We had a great weekend and a good start to the block of three games I wrote about in my previous column. We beat the Dragons 34-17 and we are now second in the table, together with Benetton.

The reasons behind the win do not rest exclusively on what happens on the field, but on what we do in the week leading into a game.

The latest column from Edinburgh star JP Socino

Although we happened to play against the Dragons on a Friday and our key game against Treviso will also be on Friday, I will tell you what a week in professional rugby is all about.

Sunday

After having the day on Saturday, unfortunately we have to be up early on Sunday. We meet at the club at 8:15 for our daily monitoring, which includes being weighed, flexibility and other tests to understand our tiredness. This gives our coaches day-to-day information on each player and how to face the day ahead. At 9am, backs meet to analyze what worked and didn’t of the previous game.

When we are together, the forwards will go to the guy, working on lower and upper body.

When we are finished, we swap places. After our gym work, each player picks up their supplements, already chosen for them by the trainer.

Lunch is at 11:30, always consisting of animal protein, vegetables, hydrates, and selected yogurts. Each player knows how much they can eat depending on the individual need to lose, put on or maintain their weight).

That is followed by a team meeting is at 12:30, where we all look at the most recent game.

On field work starts at 13:45 when we work on skills and fitness.

Monday

The second day of our week starts a bit earlier which helps us avoid traffic, needing to finish our daily monitoring by 7:30AM and then have breakfast as we start at 8:15 in the gym, with stretching and some weights.

At 9AM backs meet and then we head to the training ground to normally focus on skills and attacking situations, defensive work with contact. At that time, forwards head to the gym for their main session on lower body.

When we are done, we swop again and we all come together for lunch, where variety is certainly lacking. But, food is healthy and it plays a role…or so says the trainer!

At 1:30 we meet again as a team and start focusing on the opposition and how we want to play against them. Sometimes, the team is announced.

If the meeting is not too long, within the hour we will be back on the paddock; if it is winter, the sun will have already gone down and it is hard to catch the ball in the cold. This is the most intense session of the week because of the physical and contact side. We can get to run about 4km in one session.

I leave around 4:15PM which means I’ll hit traffic on the way home.

Tuesday

Every week we have a day off, normally a Wednesday. I’ll turn the alarm clock off and wait for the dog to come and wake us up. We normally drink mate, our traditional herbal tea, with my wife and then we’ll head to the gym. Depending on how tired I am, I’ll do some stretching and swim.

Then it is back home to rest. It is the day we go to the movies or out and break the diet!

Wednesday

Alarm goes at 6:10 as we face a day similar to Tuesday although the content and intensity chances. We are now focusing on details and on what we want to achieve on the weekend. If the team has already been named, it is easier to work on combinations. It is much less intense, prioritizing quality. Those not on the match-day 23 have to do more fitness and gym work at the end of the day.

Thursday

Team run or captain’s run, when we run at the stadium, with no opposition, going through moves and restarts. Kickers do their practice session, hooker their lineouts, and scrumhalves box kicking. After that, there is a very short activation in the gym.

Friday

Match Day. It will depend on whether we play away – every game except Glasgow requires we travel the day before—or at home in Edinburgh. But the details of a match day I’ll keep for a future column.

This weekly schedule—that moves one day if we play on a Sunday—is intense and repetitive. Each coach has his own method and organization. This is ours and given our results, I’d say it works very well.