THE 42 IS stranded without a car on Ayrton Senna Avenue. The legendary Formula One driver owned a house in Quinta do Lago and these days a long, clean stretch of road which winds from the small commercial centre out to the coast is named in his honour.
On a bright, breezy morning in the Algarve earlier this week we stumbled across the large sign bearing his name while on a desperate hunt for some nourishment. The 42 had been sent to Portugal to cover Ireland’s pre-Six Nations training camp, but being down-season in terms of tourism, we faced some challenges across our few days in the winter sun.
Our rented apartment was located on a sprawling complex amid a web of golf resorts but it took the best part of three days before we saw any other sign of life on campus. On Tuesday morning we set out to find breakfast but after walking to three different cafés which had the shutters down, the sight of Senna’s name prompted us to give into the hunger and hail an Uber.
The trip back into Quinta’s centre took us past the impressive Campus facility which Ireland used as their training base for the week leading into tonight’s opening fixture with France [KO 8pm Irish time]. Tuesday was the main training day ahead of the tournament opener, with the small group of travelling media restricted from any access on site.
It was different on Monday, where a lighter session was followed by an afternoon of media duties, with Tadhg Beirne, Jamison Gibson-Park, Robbie Henshaw and scrum coach John Fogarty all up for interview.
The conversations took place shortly after the 15-minute window where we were allowed watch training from the sidelines. In the far corner of the pitch, Peter O’Mahony’s voice bellowed during a block of maul defence work, the new Ireland captain equally vocal whether he was right in the thick of the twisting mass of bodies or offering advice between his reps.
Closer to our vantage point Mike Catt talked the backs through a series of tactical kick work before our invitation to the session closed with a block of running and contact drills where Paul O’Connell held a tackle bag and provided live feedback. There were words of encouragement for Andrew Porter when he corrected his footwork and a smile of satisfaction after O’Mahony crashed past the Ireland forwards coach.
Overall there was a relaxed feel about the place, the players enjoying lunch in the sun while Netflix recorded every move ahead of a potential second series of their Full Contact documentary, with many of the group watching the first installment during the flight over last week.
Life moves slowly in the Algarve at this time of year. When we nipped down for a lunchtime dip, we had the run of a gorgeous stretch of beach, save the couple of kids who found great amusement when a large wave sent us slamming into the sand, our ego bruised but togs thankfully still in place.
Wednesday was moving day for both the squad and the media, Ireland boarding a flight to Marseille following Andy Farrell’s morning press conference while the rest of us found our way to France via a brief stop in Lisbon.
We touched down in Marseille and the pace of life changed in an instant. After our airport transfer was forced to take an unwanted diversion, we rumbled through narrow streets as the city’s late-night wildlife scurried in front of the car at every turn. It’s not a place to be wandering on your own at night with a suitcase, so a great sense of relief washed over when the door to our hotel finally buzzed open after an anxious 1am wait.
Marseille is a very different city during the day. The old port area can be chaotic after dark but with the sun up, it offers a pleasant stroll along the Mediterranean Sea up to the picturesque streets in the old town.
Football is king here, but for one night only, rugby is the only show in town as the Stade Vélodrome hosts a contest which has the look and feel of a potential championship decider. France are on the move this year as Paris gears up to host the Olympics, with Marseille tonight playing host to a Six Nations fixture for this first time since Italy visited in 2018.
We were up bright and early yesterday to head for the Stade, where O’Mahony was guiding the team through his first Captain’s Run since being handed the role full-time.
It’s a milestone night for O’Mahony, and a milestone night too for Joe McCarthy, Jack Crowley and Calvin Nash, who are all set to start a Six Nations game for the first time. Crowley has been the subject of much interest in the French media this week, with the locals curious as to how this Irish team will function without Johnny Sexton, a man they loved to hate in this part of the world.
This is the first Six Nations without Sexton since 2009, and with no Antoine Dupont, Romain Ntamack or Owen Farrell, there’s space for new names to put their mark on this tournament over the next two months.
It’s been a slower, slightly subdued build-up to this Six Nations but after a week of sun, sea and plenty of solitude, opening night has arrived to spark the competition into life.
