Drones, specs and sensors - meet RFU's 'Q' behind gadgets for England's stars

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Teenage wing Noah Caluori is one of the England players for whom training has been tailored with specialist technology BBC Sport rugby union news reporterPublished11 minutes agoFifteen years ago, Cristiano Ronaldo was the star of a genre-defying film. At the peak of his powers, the footballer was the subject of 'docu-mmercial' - his skills scientifically unpicked and assessed as part of a promotion for a car engine oil. It was a success and a key segment went viral., external In it, Ronaldo stood eight yards out from goal and waited for a cross. However, as the ball was in mid-flight, the lights were cut, plunging the penalty box into darkness. The Portugal captain found the net all the same, relying on his experience, anticipation and reading of the ball's flight to finish the chance blind. Earlier this summer, England's back three were similarly tested. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Noah Caluori and Cadan Murley were among those wearing strobe goggles - whose lenses flickered between being clear and opaque - while they attempted to catch high balls. Fly-half George Ford, safely on the other side of the training pitch, enjoyed the spectacle of the glasses. "We've been watching from afar and laughing and giggling at a few things," he said. But, it is a serious business - and it is Duncan Locke's business. He is the head of performance services and innovation at England Rugby. Or, alternatively, the RFU's 'Q' - the movie character who provides British spy James Bond with high-tech gadgets - tasked with finding the technology that will help England's men and women out in the field. "The strobe glasses work by improving cognitive processing time," Locke explained to BBC Sport. "It trains the players to process the flight of the ball quicker to help with that high-ball work that's so important." The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.Skip youtube video by England RugbyAllow YouTube content? This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Google’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.End of youtube video by England RugbyLocke's CV is ideally suited to his current role. Born and raised in Gloucester, his first love was rugby. But his first job was as part of the UK Sports Institute staff, helping Great Britain's track cycling team around the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He saw firsthand how a culture of chasing marginal gains - in skin suits, bike components, hand hygiene, sleep and the rest - powered Sir Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton to leave the rest of the world in their wake. "It was really enjoyable to be a part of and really eye-opening for me," added Locke. "But rugby's my sport, and when the opportunity came up to join England, I definitely wasn't going to turn it down." At first Locke was on the frontline as a laptop-wielding analyst, initially for head coach Martin Johnson and then his successor Stuart Lancaster. In 2017, he shifted upstairs into a more strategic role, attempting to find the new gadgets, gizmos and workflows to give England an edge on the pitch. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Locke (bottom row, far right) was part of England men's analysis team before moving into a more strategic role England are well resourced, but time and money are finite. Locke can't afford to waste either on an innovation that fails to deliver. He estimated that he has reviewed close to 60 different pieces of technology over the past two years and put only five or six to use. "There are so many start-ups and new technology firms, it would be easy to be almost hoodwinked by the latest flashy gadgets," said Locke. "Our job is to make sure that whatever we look to implement is valid in terms of the research that it works, it's cost efficient, and, most importantly, it's going to have an impact and help answer a performance question." England's next match poses an obvious puzzle. On Saturday, they play South Africa at Ellis Park in Johannesburg, 1,724 metres above sea level. At that altitude, the air has a weaker concentration of oxygen. Fail to prepare, prepare to flail and wheeze in the final quarter. But it is tricky to acclimatise in south-west London. So, after weighing up scientific literature and the realities of how much time they had with players, Locke and England's coaches hooked them up to hypoxic masks, which recreate conditions at altitude of more than 3,000m, for intensive stationary bike sessions. It should result in increased aerobic capacity and resilience when they face the four-time world champions on Saturday. More general skills are also sharpened on the

Drones, specs and sensors - meet RFU's 'Q' behind gadgets for England's stars

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