As England gears up for their Nations Championship opener against the Springboks at Johannesburg's Ellis Park this Saturday, they face more than just their opponents – they battle the thin air too. Altitude, a silent adversary, begins its assault from the very first whistle, asserts SA sports scientist Ross Tucker. The Scots are on deck to experience the same in Pretoria at Loftus Versfeld the following week.
Ross Tucker explains that while the advantage of playing at altitude has diminished over the years due to strategic game changes and team adaptability, it remains a significant challenge. "It’s definitely a factor," Tucker reported to RugbyPass. "No one wants to go to altitude. It is harder to play at altitude."
"When athletes run at altitude, from the very first moments of exercise they slow down because their brains pick up that there’s less oxygen,"
Tucker points out, debunking myths that the effects of altitude only hit later in the game. Contrary to popular belief, Tucker noted, "There’s a misperception that at altitude it’s going to hit you at 60 minutes. I think it’s hitting you from the start." Furthermore, research indicates that some of the most obvious signs of altitude stress appear between the 20th and 40th minutes of play.
In preparation, England has engaged in simulated altitude training to blunt the edge of Johannesburg's 1,753m elevation, which can slash aerobic capacity by about 9%. Nick Hart, a performance specialist, emphasized the strategy: "The key phrase we always use is: reduce the negative impact that altitude has on performance. We want to remove altitude as a criterion for performance, or minimise it and mitigate it as much as possible."
"That 0.2 seconds over 30m is the difference between the cover tackle being made or not being made."
This marginal slowing could be the thin line between victory and defeat, Tucker warns. As both England and Scotland line up to commence their high-altitude battles in South Africa, the invisible challenge of altitude awaits to test their limits from the outset.