Beefing up with extra heavy weights, -110C cryotherapy sessions and playing tour standard golf courses… How England have revved up for the Six Nations at the sunny home of shock LaLiga leaders Girona

Nestled between the Costa Brava coastline and the Pyrenees, it is easy to see why England’s rugby team followed Manchester City and Mexico to the five-star Camiral training base.

It is the home of Girona FC, the surprise leaders in LaLiga, and Steve Borthwick will be hoping to share some of their hosts’ good fortune in the upcoming Six Nations.

For the next few days, the base’s goalposts have been replaced by rugby posts, with England handed keys to enjoy the facilities that are spread across 540 hectares of countryside.

There are two-and-a-half full-sized pitches where England are preparing for Saturday’s opener against Italy, beside a private gym that the rugby team have beefed up with some extra heavy weights.

England’s logistics team had the task of unloading several trucks worth of their own gear, featuring everything from hit shields, tackle bags, 80 rugby balls and of course their trusty lineout ladder.

Steve Borthwick’s side have made a dash for the sunshine of Spain ahead of the tournament 

The Camiral base is home to Girona Football Club, who are currently top of LaLiga 

The resort has two golf courses, one of which has played host to a DP World Tour event 

Previously, England have travelled to the Algarve for their warm weather training camps but Borthwick has changed tack for the Iberian Peninsula as the Eddie Jones era drifts further into the distance.

Just 15 minutes from the airport, England are hoping to establish a long-term partnership with the venue, attracted to the sunny climate that offers more daylight training hours than the UK.

England took their own ice bath and sauna to last year’s World Cup but the facilities here offer everything on-site, including cryotherapy chambers that allow for muscle and joint recovery at -110C.

And while Borthwick is unlikely to allow himself much downtime so close to the big kick off, the resort offers two golf courses, one of which has played host to the DP World Tour.

Ben Earl is one of the sharpest shooters in the team, playing off a handicap of three, and a long-standing admirer of Tiger Woods.

‘Make no bones about it, we are going to train exceptionally hard, but off the field, you need to be able to relax, recover and enjoy each other’s company,’ said Borthwick.

‘Girona is a great venue for that. When we are ‘on’, I want the intensity, focus, concentration and intent to be as high as possible, but if I want to keep increasing that level, you’ve got to relax in between those moments.’

Girona are shock LaLiga leaders ahead of Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona

Max Ojomoh smiles during one of England’s training sessions ahead of the Six Nations

Fin Smith and Oscar Beard use the elastic band, one of thousands of pieces of equipment England take with them

England have previously been to Portugal for warm weather training but this year chose Spain

Camiral is under the same ownership as the Campus in Portugal, where Andy Farrell’s Ireland base themselves for their training camps.

It boasts five different restaurants although England always travel with their own chef, Thomas Kirby who trained in London at the Savoy hotel and moved on to The Goring.

And the players are bound to sleep well in the luxurious bedrooms with panoramic views off the grounds, with the best rooms usually allocated to the most senior members of the team!