Flight fright raises pulse as injury grounds me, writes Cam Shepherd






NOT being able to take part in our game against the Lions after tweaking my quad was, to say the least, extremely frustrating. We're waiting on scans to see exactly what's happening but I'm hopeful to be back playing against the Cheetahs next week.

It's a long flight to get here and there's something about plane travel that plays with your mind and gets your heart rate going a little quicker.
While there's excitement about the destination you're about to visit, there's also that moment of doubt where a spectacular crash in a Hollywood flick or a TV show titled something like Destroyed in Seconds flashes in front of your eyes.
For some of our squad that left Perth on Wednesday night, all of those thoughts rushed through their heads when the pilot aborted the takeoff at virtually the point of no return.
When I spoke to Tom Hockings, he thought they would scoot off the end of the runway, but it turned out it was a minor problem and after a short delay the flight took off and made it safely to South Africa.


It's the first tour to the republic for a few of the boys, including my roommate Mitch Inman.
It reminded me of my first visit. I was only 19 and we had the Stormers in Cape Town first up. The way Table Mountain towers over the city is breathtaking, but unfortunately my most vivid memory is the abuse I copped from the passionate Newlands crowd.
After making a horrible decision in defence, I let in the opening try and the fans certainly didn't let me forget it.
The passion for rugby in South Africa is everywhere, even with soccer World Cup fever gripping the country. Our venue this weekend was Coca-Cola Park (the old Ellis Park) here in Johannesburg. It's the site of South Africa's historic 1995 Rugby World Cup win, the event behind the recent movie Invictus with Matt Damon.
The Springboks sealed victory and their first World Cup win in the dying minutes of the game thanks to a Joel Stransky field goal.
It's the biggest moment in South African rugby history and it makes playing on that patch of grass all the more special.sGWe love touring to South Africa, the culture, the people, the food, the scenery, not to mention the chance to grow some outrageous facial hair which has become somewhat of a team tradition. Keep an eye out for our attempts over the next few weeks.

Ben Whittaker has had a 3 month head start but something tells me it may take another 3 months until anyone notices.

It has always been a tour that has brought our group closer and maybe that is why we have been successful here. We have a chance to finish the year well and see off this tough season on a high note.


http://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/fli...-1225861073346