Rams back late travel plan with lay-flat beds for Melbourne opener

The Los Angeles Rams are scheduled to leave for Australia on Tuesday night ahead of Friday’s NFL season opener against the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne.

Coach Sean McVay said the team is due to arrive on Thursday morning local time, leaving one day before the match, which is scheduled to begin at 10:35 am on Friday.

Each player is expected to have access to an individual lay-flat bed during the flight. McVay said the arrangement would allow players to sleep overnight and arrive with their usual routine largely intact.

The Rams’ approach differs from that of the 49ers, who reportedly arrived in Melbourne the previous week. McVay described the late departure as equivalent to travelling for a traditional Sunday game, while limiting the time between arrival and kick-off.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford said the Rams used a similar late-travel plan for last year’s game in London and that players felt prepared to play. Davante Adams said he had no concerns about the approach, while expressing enthusiasm for the crowd and atmosphere at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which holds more than 100,000 people.

The travel plans and match schedule were reported by Yahoo Sports.