The players attributed the midseason turnaround in the form shown by Ulster to an alteration of training schedules. Davidson contends that that the change from night-time to regular daytime training was vital. The way to improve a team is not by playing more matches necessarily, but the regularity of training. The real benefit of training during the day is that it is easier to provide structured rest periods. It you are trying to squeeze a hundred things into training session a couple of times a week, it is impossible to concentrate on quality, quantity seems to take over.
Professionalism advocates the importance of rest.
Ten years ago there wasn't that facility for players. They worked all day, attended training and dragged themselves home to bed. It is one thing having high levels of fitness but the real test for players is the time that it takes them to recover. That is the attraction of anabolic steroids, they allow you to recover quickly. The switch in training, as I am sure Harry Williams would agree, has been pivotal to the improvement.