NFL-Rams bet on body clocks in first test of Super Bowl ambitions in Australia

The Los Angeles Rams are arriving in Melbourne early to rely on “rhythm and routine” as they open their Super Bowl campaign with a regular-season game against the San Francisco 49ers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Kickoff is set for 10:35 a.m. local time (0035 GMT) on Friday, with the Rams landing on Thursday and having just over a day to acclimatize. The 49ers, by contrast, arrived more than a week earlier. The Rams are also planning for a return to U.S. conditions for Week Two versus the New York Giants. The team has previously tested different travel-and-rest strategies on long-haul trips, collecting data to compare approaches. Week One is only the first step, with the Rams widely backed to win the Lombardi Trophy again.