The Los Angeles Rams head coach, Sean McVay, has no desire to return to Australia anytime soon after his side suffered a heavy defeat to the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne.
The Rams were beaten 27-7 by the 49ers at the MCG last Friday in the NFL's first regular season game in Australia, with San Francisco dominating in front of a crowd of 100,000.
While McVay praised the atmosphere created by Australian fans, the Rams coach joked that he would rather not make another trip down under.
"It's almost like you try and do the 'Men in Black' thing, where you say "All right, hey I don't remember what happened," McVay told media this week ahead of the Rams clash with the New York Giants.
"That was so long ago. We're not playing in Australia ever again, I hope. Not because it wasn't a great atmosphere. That will get taken out of context."
McVay was quick to clarify that his comments were not a criticism of Australia or the crowd, praising the atmosphere created by a 100,000 strong crowd at Melbourne's sporting Mecca.
With the Rams spending just 35-40 hours in Australia, the decision to fly in and out quickly raised questions about whether the club doubted the brutal timezone exposure.
According to doctor Jesse Morse, the Rams sent 15 staffers to Australia over the last two years, tracking their bodies and sleep rhythms to understand how they would perform under the travel conditions.
McVay has recently defended the decision to fly in and out of Australia, saying the Rams believed maintaining their normal routine would give the players the best chance at performing. The model proved successful when the Rams travelled to London to face the Jacksonville Jaguars for the 2025 international game, where they won 35-7.
The 49ers approached this game with a different strategy, arriving a week earlier so the players could adjust to the harsh time difference.
However, the Rams' decision to arrive in Melbourne just one day before the game ultimately backfired, with the scoreboard showing whose strategy truly won on gameday.
