This week I had the pleasure of catching up with Reds Flyhalf Jono Lance. After a few seasons with the Waratahs and the Western Force, returning to Brisbane to play with the Queensland Reds, has been a great “homecoming” for him.
Jono shared about his teams eventful overseas trip and how he feels being back at Ballymore. I hope you enjoy reading the interview, as much as I enjoyed chatting with him!
Welcome back home! You and the team have had quite a trip overseas…
Yeah we have! It’s been a big few weeks, and we stuck together which is good. I think it was just a good experience for all the guys, to go to Cape Town via London. And to get the frequent flyer points up is always good.
How've you been since you got back?
Really good. For me it was definitely a home-coming and it was very exciting. My family were very excited to get me back. Mum and Dad were keen to go to Caxton Street before games so they were pumped about that. For me, with some of the coaches here… our backs coach [Paul Carozza], I’ve been working with him since I was 14. So to be able to work with the guy who I’ve spent most of my rugby career with, it’s been exciting.
What were a couple of highlights from your overseas trip?
A few highlights… Definitely the game in Argentina was awesome, but also the travelling fans. There was a group of guys who were doing a bike ride through South America and they timed it perfectly, as Reds fans, to be at the game. They showed us a banner they’d made of Brad Thorne after game. That was a pretty awesome experience seeing them.
And I suppose spending time with guys that I hadn’t seen much of in 5 years was pretty awesome. There was a lot of funny moments off the field, a lot of laughter, which is always good.
Coach Brad Thorne was really happy about the trip. How did you feel about how the team played?
Yeah very good. Thorny was happy, and I think the whole group was too. In Super Rugby, you do one big trip every year and I know from that, if you can get a win away, it’s massive. To come back from a big trip with 5 competition points, at a stage where we haven’t had many home games, puts us in good stead for the rest of the year.
It seems the team is playing really well together. How are you feeling in the lead up to the Brumbies game this weekend?
Yeah really good. I think we’ve definitely been growing, a lot of new combinations. The most exciting thing for me is just how young the group is. If you look at the bench this weekend, I think the average age is 22 or something ridiculous. We’ve got a guy on the bench this weekend who was born in the year 2000, which is amazing, it makes me feel really old. He’s got the nickname Y2J. So feel free to use that one - Y2J for Jordy.
You were here from 2011-13. How good is it to be back at Ballymore?
Yeah. Awesome. I had some great moments here in those three years. For me to get the chance to play here with some good mates of mine is something that rugby’s all about. I think what you’re seeing with how we’re playing at the moment is 23 guys going out and ripping in. They’re the teams that you like being a part of the most.
We’re having a lot of fun at training, but when it’s time to rip in, we’re not afraid to bash each other during the week.
You came from a Rugby League background . What drew you to Rugby Union?
My mates all played Rugby Union when I was young and I went to a school that was played Union, so it was a pretty simple choice for me. My Mum jumped on board quick, but it took a while to convince my Dad to come around. But I think he’s a Rugby Union fan now. Don’t tell anyone in Rugby League circles that, but he loves watching his Union. Obviously I still love watching my Rugby League and there’s a few tragic Broncos supporters in the team, but yeah for me it’s all about Rugby Union now.
How did you end up in Brisbane originally?
So, I went to school on the Gold Coast, went to TSS and used to play against all your brothers and your brothers mates at State High. But for me, it was just after school finished, I had an opportunity to come up and play at UQ. They had a bit of a professional type set up for guys who weren’t in a professional environment, which was exactly what I wanted to do. It was good because I had a year not playing professionally, just enjoying my rugby and playing club footy, which reminded me why I wanted to play professionally. But it was still very serious.
That’s how I ended up in Brisbane, and with the Heavies. The mighty Red Heavies.
What are you enjoying most about being back in this great state?
Yeah. Getting back to see my family is pretty awesome, after four years out of home. Just to see my parents and my sisters is pretty cool, and they get to come and watch me play rugby which is good. And there'a lot of close mates that I’ve played rugby with since I was 15, to be able to play with them has been awesome over the last few months.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time, besides rugby?
I like American sport, so I watch that and play a lot of fantasy sport with my school mates. It’s been an intense week. Fantasy basketball’s on at the moment and I’m in the final. So I’ve been on my phone a lot this week - I’m not usually on my phone that much. I like a bit of golf, the usual stuff. I suppose other than that, being in Queensland, going to the beach and seeing old mates. I’m a simple guy [laughs].
Thanks Lance for taking time out to chat. All the best this weekend in Canberra, I'll be watching.
No worries, thank you for having me. I always get some good hard-hitting questions from a Hamilton.
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