The Cal rugby team has just arrived at its hotel following its only loss of the regular season, a five-point defeat at the hands of British Columbia.

The players probably hope to disappear into their rooms as quickly as their perfect record did on March 26 in Vancouver, Canada.

But before they exit the bus and retreat for the night, senior captain Rikus Pretorius offers them a few words of advice.

"It happens," he says. "Keep your head up. We're just going to improve from here."

It's more of an acknowledgement than anything else.

In fact, it's likely that Pretorius would have given a similar speech even if the Bears had departed Thunderbird Stadium with a victory.

Either way, Pretorius knew his team would have nearly a month to reflect, prepare and-most importantly-improve.

During its annual April Drive, Cal puts the finishing touches on its performance as it gears up for the Round of 16, which begins Friday in Albuquerque, N.M.

It's a process that often goes under the radar, but one that turns the nation's top-seeded collegiate rugby team into something even better.

The recipe is simple:

Twenty-three days between the end of the regular season and the beginning of the national postseason tournament.

Fifteen spots in the starting lineup, many of them virtually secured by the squad's best and most experienced players, but none of them guaranteed.

Two training sessions per day, including early morning runs.

One overarching goal: Peak for the playoffs.

"We have a lot of training time, and we don't necessarily have to back off," coach Jack Clark says. "When you play a game on Saturday, you need to take a team run on Thursday and back off on Friday to get your legs back … We're able to keep the work level high, keep the intensity high."

The result is an overall increase in physical fitness, which can become a huge factor throughout the postseason because the champion must win two matches per weekend-on back-to-back days-on two separate weekends.

Improvements in stamina and technical proficiency mirror a more productive lifestyle away from the pitch as well.

"It's a very healthy month," Pretorius says. "We tend to not socialize as much, not go out as much and focus on schoolwork and things that are important to you."

In that sense, April Drive isn't only about physical preparation.

It bolsters a sense of unity that was already evident during the course of the season. It strengthens a bond that's been forming since the first days of the preseason.

"The team grows together," Pretorius says. "If you go through something like April Drive together, if you're getting up every morning at seven o'clock to go run, if you're going to train hard, you grow as a team. From my experience, it's done nothing but bring the team closer together."

Pretorius and senior Louis Stanfill were recently named by USA Rugby to the 2008 Elite Players Squad, which is used as a recruiting pool for various national teams. During the playoffs, they will likely take up most of the minutes at the flanker and eightman positions.

For some of their teammates, however, April Drive is a chance to make one last-and lasting-impression on the Bears' coaching staff.

It's a plea for playing time.

"Players who might not be having the season they want might come out on the postseason," Pretorius says. "April Drive might change their playing capabilities."

After all, the annual surge is not about resting up.

It's about getting fired up.

"April Drive is a huge boost for us," Pretorius says. "It's almost a transformation of the team."

April Drive is a marathon that officially ends when the playoffs begin, but one whose effects manifest themselves until the playoffs are over.

The Bears hope it's a run that doesn't end until they take home their fifth consecutive title.

"I'm very much looking forward to the challenge of closing out this season," Clark says. "And I think the team is as well."

After Cal lost to the Thunderbirds, Clark said his team was probably not as good as its 20-1 record might suggest.

The scary thing is that after April Drive, the Bears might be even better.

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