Dodgy bus rides, pizza, pasta, and gelato have all been part of the New Zealand U20s rugby side’s build-up, as it prepares for the first match of the World Championships in Italy this weekend.
None of the Baby Blacks squad had travelled to Europe before.
Speaking to Breakfast from Verona, loose forward Micah Fale said it was an exciting experience.
“It’s crazy, aye. At the start if the year, I would never have believed that I would be in this position to be here. It’s been an unbelievable experience to travel and see the sights. I watched heaps of movies on Netflix about Italy so it’s pretty cool to be here,” Fale said.
But it wasn't all been smooth sailing, with a one-hour bus ride turning into a four-hour ordeal with two break-downs.
“It also started when we were packing up, the boys were getting sweaty, we were loading everything on to the bus,” he explained.
“As we were walking on, as soon as we started driving, bang, the aircon wasn’t even working, so I took off my T-shirt and my pants. I was in my undies the whole time. I was bloody sweating.
"This guy [Rico Simpson] was sitting next to me, he looked like he was going to faint. Good experience though, builds character," Fale adds.
First-five Rico Simpson said the All Blacks brand still conjures up plenty of intrigue with locals.
"Wherever you go you get seen as an All Black, so it’s pretty cool, people come up to you asking questions, people come up to you and yell 'All Blacks' which is a bit different."
The Baby Blacks have won the championship five times previously, with their last win in 2017.
The side kicks off its campaign against Italy in Milan on Monday morning (NZ time).
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