McVay hopes the Rams will not play in Australia again — ABC News Australia
Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay said after the loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia, that he hopes never to play games in the country again. In their season-opening game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the Rams lost to their divisional rival 7-27.
As ABC News Australia reports, during the trip to Australia, McVay publicly said that the team was happy to take part in the game and was looking forward to it. However, a week after the matchup, the coach expressed a different attitude toward the long road trip.
McVay’s statement after the loss
“I hope we never play in Australia again,” McVay said. He stressed that his words were not about the atmosphere at the stadium: “Not because there wasn’t a great atmosphere. This will get taken out of context.”
The Rams arrived in Melbourne about 24 hours before the game, while the 49ers had been in the city all week, meeting fans and getting acquainted with the local atmosphere. On the field, the Los Angeles team looked less convincing and scored only one touchdown.
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Australia will host more NFL games
The game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground drew 100,021 spectators. According to ABC News Australia, San Francisco had greater support in the stands, while the Rams’ entrance onto the field was accompanied by both cheers and boos.
The NFL has signed a multi-year agreement with the government of Victoria state to hold two games in Australia, with the possibility of organizing a third. The participants in the next game have not yet been determined. The Seattle Seahawks, Las Vegas Raiders, and Philadelphia Eagles, which along with the Rams hold marketing rights in Australia, were named among the likely teams.
Philadelphia player Jordan Mailata, a Sydney native, previously advised future participants in Australian games to arrive early because, in his words, 24 hours is not enough to recover from a long flight.
