From peanut butter to double burgers: How Qantas fed the LA Rams

A protein-packed A380 has brought the Los Angeles Rams to Melbourne on Thursday morning, ahead of Friday’s clash with the San Francisco 49ers at the MCG.

The Qantas plane, touching down at 6.02am (AEST), had to carry so much food on the nearly 15-hour trip that the caterers had to store snacks like beef jerky and meat-and-cheese packs in the overhead bins on the flight.

The chartered Qantas plane was specially stocked with high-protein foods – such as a double-thick cheeseburgers – and snacks including Jiffy peanut butter (an American favourite), sausage and cheese packs, beef jerky and Lay’s potato chips, baked not fried.

Evan Kassel, Qantas manager of charter planning and delivery, said: “We’ve been working really closely with their operations team, making sure our lighting schedules, our sleep schedules, the meal service are all within [the requirements of] what they’re looking for.

“Probably the biggest piece which has taken a lot of time is … the nutrition.”

So for the NFL players, it’s “high protein on each plate” he said, noting that the players get a business class service throughout the aircraft.

“We’re trying to ensure we have enough snacks as well that fit on board that they can eat through the entire journey.”

Qantas had to “have snacks fit in the overhead lockers because we don’t even have the space in the galley,” said Kassel. “That is how full the aircraft is with food and drink.”

The self-serve snacks Qantas provided on long-haul flights had an American makeover, with bottles of Gatorade, coconut water, Dr Pepper and bags of Doritos, with some of the arrayed food looking more like the stuff an American convenience store. That is to say, tasty, and full of calories.

Also seen in the pictures Qantas provided are custom-made LA Rams-branded Qantas pyjamas, sized extra large.

But the Rams and, a week earlier, the 49ers, didn’t just have access to pre-made snacks. Hot cheeseburgers and steak sandwiches were available during the whole flight, Kassel said.

While the Rams will have only a day to acclimatise themselves to local time in Melbourne before playing, the 49ers have been on the streets of the city for a week when, while not training for the game, they have sampled the sights and tastes of Melbourne.

While commenting on the confusing time zones, some 49ers marvelled at the quality of the coffee, with running back Christian McCaffrey saying the coffee in Melbourne is “unbelievable”.

He questioned why no one had raved about it to him earlier.

“The coffee is great, the food is awesome, the people are really nice.”

After the protein-rich charter flight, both the Rams and 49ers might venture to try Australia’s beef jerky too.

The Rams are the second-most valuable team in the NFL, valued at $US13.5 billion ($18.7 billion) in Forbes′ annual list published on Wednesday, while the 49ers came in fifth at $US10.5 billion.

The Dallas Cowboys are the most valuable NFL franchise for a 20th consecutive year, according to the list that showed all the league’s teams are worth at least $US8 billion.

Rams head coach Sean McVay was convinced his team could thwart jet lag and optimise their game readiness by staying home longer on California time.

The starkly differing ways in which the two sides made this epic 16,000-kilometre journey have attracted almost as much attention as the two star-studded rosters preparing to put on a show.

Both teams agree this contrast in preparation is not a referendum on the best way to handle a pair of 16-hour flights with a football game in between — even if the rest of the world might see it that way after the final whistle.

“I’m sure it will be a good case study for anybody else in the future to sit there and overthink which one helped or not, but the real thing that’s going to [win] this game is who plays better football,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said.

“There’s too many variables that go into this stuff with 53 guys on each team, with 3½ hours of football, for me to overthink or say anything that gives one team a big advantage over the other.”

This game is a difficult early test for the Super Bowl favourites Rams and the talent-laden 49ers, who also intend to be a title challenger. The coaching staffs and veteran players all know each other thoroughly after a decade of competition between Shanahan and McVay, who are both constantly looking for an edge.

“I don’t think there’s any right way to do it,” said defensive end Myles Garrett, who will make his Rams debut in Australia.

“They have a plan, and I’m sure they consulted different teams and people to find out a way to combat jet lag and such long travel.

“We’ve done the same thing. I think we’re both riding our methodologies.”

With Reuters, AP