How do rugby players spend Christmas Day? For Wales forward Jake Ball, it’s pretty much like every other dad, except for large helpings of self-discipline and denial – at least until the Scarlets have played the Ospreys on Boxing Day, as he tells Graham Thomas.
Giant Jake Ball will limit himself to one tiny helping of Christmas pudding the night before – to ensure he’s lean and mean on Boxing Day when he tries to make mincemeat of the Ospreys.
The Wales forward – who requires plenty of forkfuls of the right food to fuel his 19-stones body – admits he has a bit of a weakness for festive cake and pudding.
But knowing he needs to be in the best shape possible when the Scarlets host the Ospreys – in a mouth-watering Guinness Pro 14 clash that is part of S4C’s Clwb Rygbi coverage – then the 6ft 7in second row will be waving away offers of seconds as his family and friends tuck in.
If Ball needs a mental image to stay firm in the grip of temptation, then the owner of Wales’ most famous red beard brings one to mind. It’s Welsh Rugby Union head of nutrition Jon Williams and his feared skin fold test calipers.
“You are kept pretty honest by people like John,” says Ball who recently returned to regional action after being part of Wales’ World Cup effort in Japan.
“You know you are going to get the skin fold test soon enough and get weighed. So, if you suddenly turn up three kilos heavier, they’re going to ask questions.
“It could be easy to get things wrong. If you’re having a piece of cake every day over the festive period, and some chocolate every day, then it’s going to add up.
“By the time you get to the end of the week, then you’re going to have taken a lot more calories into your system than normal.
“That will turn to fat. Then, when someone like John comes along and takes the skin folds and you’re up by two or three per cent, he’s suddenly asking, ‘what have you been eating?’ and you’re going to feel a bit embarrassed.”
So, unlike many on Christmas Day, Ball and the rest of Welsh rugby’s Boxing Day brigade will be showing restraint.
That means no alcohol, and although he’ll have a plate of turkey and the trimmings, it will be a strictly modest-sized helping – or what passes for modest when you have up to six or seven meals a day and consume 6,000 calories.
“I sit down and have a normal turkey Christmas dinner,” adds 28-year-old Ball. “But the biggest thing for me is not over-eating. That can be tough.
“I let myself have a bit of Christmas cake and treats like that, but the big thing is quantity, overall. I don’t want to stuff myself because I’m playing the next day. I’m quite regimented with my food and so people have got used to that and are supportive. For me, not having too much is a small sacrifice in order to play well the next day.”
As well as watching his intake, the other big requirement for Ball is to get enough sleep – not an easy task on Christmas Day when he and his wife Christie have three kids under the age of five.
Luckily for Scarlets fans who don’t want to see big Jake yawning too much at the line-out when he’s meant to be getting stuck into his Wales teammate Alun Wyn Jones, Christie plays a Christmas Day blinder.
“I like to help with all the kids’ presents on Christmas Eve and I try not to be as grumpy as normal before big games,” he says. “But having kids has helped me mellow out a bit on that score.
“Then, the kids get up really early on Christmas Day, but I’m not doing that, thankfully. Luckily, my wife Christie is incredibly supportive of what I do.
“She will get up with the kids and I try and get my normal night’s sleep that I aim for heading into big matches. The key is to have a bit of balance. It is Christmas, but we have a match on Boxing Day, so you don’t want to get too far away from what you do normally, week-in-week-out.
“The kids will get up early, open up some presents. Then, I’ll sneak down a bit later on and get a bit of breakfast. Then, we’ll open up all the other presents and my wife does a fantastic Christmas lunch or dinner and we enjoy it with the rest of the family.”
What a finish! Sam Davies wins it for @dragonsrugby with the last play of the game!
Sam Davies yn ennill y gêm i’r Dreigiau gyda gôl adlam!
@dragonsrugby 22-20 @scarlets_rugby
Rodney Parade, Casnewydd
https://t.co/dnnwyloozn
@S4C @S4Cchwaraeon
@PRO14Official pic.twitter.com/zOMX0jXKDH— Clwb Rygbi (@yclwbrygbi) December 21, 2019
Most clubs that play Boxing Day train on Christmas Eve, although it’s not unknown for some coaches to insist on a short, sharp run through on Christmas Day, as well.
After all, the stakes are high with not just Pro 14 points up for grabs, but bragging rights among Welsh regional fans until their teams next lock horns, which, in the case of the Scarlets and the Ospreys, won’t be until next May.
Last season, in a match played three days before Christmas, the Ospreys beat the Scarlets 19-12, so for Ball and his teammates revenge is also on the festive menu.
He adds: “The games are huge and I hate losing these derby matches. If you do lose, then you sit on that until the next Boxing Day, which isn’t nice.
“All these derby games, are intense because if you lose it’s a long wait until the next one. I hate seeing clips of us losing these derbies, but I love watching clips of the ones we have won. It’s a brilliant feeling in the dressing room afterwards.
“We have had a couple of big wins at home in recent years. I also played in one big one away from home, which was fantastic. For that one, Scott Quinnell came in and said a few words beforehand to get us pumped up.
Japan 2019
Big thanks to everyone for the support and messages over the last couple months. Have had a amazing time made it extra special having the family there as well pic.twitter.com/OBhAJwIj0r— Jake Ball (@Jake_Ball4) November 4, 2019
“But it’s going to be a test for us. No disrespect to Bayonne, but the team they fielded against us last week was not as strong as it might have been, so we will need to make sure we are not too carried away. There are areas which we still need to work on.”
Then, if the Scarlets win, Ball might just follow another tradition.
“Come Boxing Day night, if we’ve had a good win, then I might let my hair down a bit and have a couple of beers.”
Clwb Rygbi – S4C, Boxing Day – 2.45pm:
Cardiff Blues v Dragons.
Join the Clwb Rygbi team at the Arms Park for live coverage of the Guinness PRO14 Welsh derby match between Cardiff Blues and Dragons. Kick off 3.00pm.
Clwb Rygbi – S4C, Friday, December 27 – 8.00pm:
Scarlets v Ospreys
A chance to re-live all 80 minutes of the Guinness PRO14 clash between Scarlets and Ospreys, which was played at Parc y Scarlets on Thursday night.