FC St. Pauli

"The Germans really do eat a lot of potatoes," laughs Connor Metcalfe, looking at me wide-eyed. Compatriot Jackson Irvine can't suppress a grin either. The jacket potatoes on my lunch plate after the first training session seem to have confirmed the cliche, damn it! But no, joking aside - the two Aussie Boys in Brown are very happy with the conditions in the South Tyrol training camp so far - and for Metcalfe it's a premiere as well. "I've never seen mountain scenery like this before," the 22-year-old explains before adding: "It's impressive how the people live so high up here as if it were nothing at all." Irvine, who has been with the Boys in Brown a year now, agrees with his teammate: "When I was at Celtic we came to Austria for pre-season once, but this is something else for me as well. Absolutely superb, from the hotel to the training."

Irvine's first season in brown and white wasn't bad at all, with 28 league appearances, one goal and four assists. He also settled in perfectly in the heart of St. Pauli with girlfriend Jemilla. "We love the multicultural aspect and the flair of the district. The nice thing about Hamburg is that you have lots of small towns in one big city, each district is different and has its own charm," the Melbourne native continues. For Metcalfe, on the other hand, it's his first venture out of Australia and into Europe, Germany and Hamburg. "My hometown of Newcastle, where I grew up, is not so multicultural. Melbourne, where I played most recently, is, however. I see a bit of Hamburg there, too," he says. Nevertheless, there was one small hurdle for him to overcome in his first weeks in his new home. "The most difficult thing for me so far has been driving," the left-footed player admits with a smile, shaking his head as he recalls his first trips in the car. "I was really nervous in the beginning because the cars drive on the other side of the road".

The language barrier is another hurdle, though definitely not an obstacle. "Really, every teammate has come over to ask if they can help,” says Metcalfe. “They're all really nice and helpful and have made me feel very welcome. And Jackson always keeps an eye out for me in any case." Irvine nods in agreement: "Everyone speaks very good English. If you really want to be forced to speak German, you have to go to Siegmar "Siggi" Krahl in the kit room because he will only speak to you in German. In return, you teach him English - a win-win situation. The funny thing is that whenever I order a coffee with oat milk in German in Hamburg, most people still answer me in English. Oh come on, I think to myself!"

The Australian pairing first got to know and like each other playing for the Socceroos, as the national team are known. "It was about a year ago in an international game against Nepal when we were both in the starting lineup," Jackson recalls. "Connor is a very relaxed and sociable type of guy. We've done quite a few things together in Hamburg in our spare time. I'd like to take him to a few more concerts," Irvine says, drawing no objections from Metcalfe.

Today, however, there's a second training session to negotiate and not an easy one either, it being a busy strength workout with dumbbells, elastic resistance bands and sprint drills. Yet even that was just another hurdle for our Aussie Boys in Brown - though definitely not an obstacle.

Photos: FC St. Pauli/Witters