October 2008 Archives

Matt Holt, our head coach at Caldy, has often said how much potential he has seen in the squad, but has insisted that we have not performed yet this season. A view shared by many of the players. Saturday afternoon showed the players respond to criticism from a broad range of sources, including themselves. Game plans were executed near perfectly by our half backs in the first half of the game and the physicality brought by all players shut all doors for the opposition. The 2nd half brought the wind to our faces and changed the way we had to play, some points were scored against us, but again our defence held out and with the addition of a well constructed running try there were a lot of smiles at full time!

The team of coaches at Caldy have been drilling moves, patterns of play and techniques into our heads, week in week out, and we have only been implementing them half-heartedly and individually. Glimpses of our potential were let loose on Saturday by a well-motivated team using these tools in the correct circumstances and as one unit.

Motivation has always been a sticking point in the world of sport. Surely a semi-professional/professional should always be motivated, but then why do performances have their peaks and troughs? I am sure sport psychologists have spent many hours working on this dilemma. In a game where the dog work is as, if not more important, than being on the receiving end of a scoring pass, a whole range of factors can affect the team. Each player could be playing with all the effort they can muster, but should they not be doing the right things at the right time then their individual effort can go wanting. The big man himself once said, "It is not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what is required." Sir Winston Churchill.

Our surplus of back rows and apparent deficit of 2nd rows allowed me the opportunity to step up into the engine room this weekend. I was happy to be included in the squad and happier to be starting but I find that playing 2nd row cuts down on the freedoms you have playing at 8 in both defence and attack, but as Charles Darwin was first to point out, "It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change."

We travelled down to Earlsdon near Coventry for the 1st round of the EDF National Trophy. Earlsdon are from 3 levels below Caldy but certainly turned up to make a win as challenging as possible. The first half was riddled with our own mistakes and good defence and turnovers from the home side but with superior fitness strength and enterprise we eventually built to a strong finish and came away with a convincing win.

In most rugby clubs, league games always take priority over cup games as survival or promotion is the premier concern. When teams have several wins under their belts and perhaps the final is in sight they may be taken more seriously and more effort and finances are put in. But I think there will always be a place in rugby for competitions like the EDF trophy. This weekend passed allowed a David and Goliath situation to occur, and whilst the larger more professional opponent won the game, I find myself feeling that Earlsdon more than convincingly won the moral battle of the day.

I think a lot of Caldy players could look back to Saturday and should they ask themselves who wanted to win the game more, the truthful answer would be the opposition.

In a game where the winter months can throw panache and skill clean out of the window, and in the knowledge that whilst we sit at the top of the league table, everyone we play will think of themselves as underdogs, perhaps it is time to wake up and realise that we are not invincible and that in some games the team with the greatest desire to win will do just that.

The view from the back row is not always a pretty one, but playing for Caldy RUFC has always made it an exciting one. I have been at Caldy since I turned up a fresh faced 16 year old looking for somewhere to play, knowing very little about the game of rugby let alone what position I should be playing.
I was very warmly welcomed by Ken " The Gnome" Smith who was then in charge of the junior colts and immediately introduced me to three of what became my closest friends. That was 7 years ago and now every boxing day we, plus several others we picked up along the way , we still collect at the same house and think up several different ways to consume the most festive drinks possible.

I learned my trade at Caldy playing number 8 for the colts and then being recommended by Ken to the Director of Rugby Tony Atherton when there was an injury to a 1st team back rower. I was in and out of the team to start with as the younger, much lighter and less experienced option, but eventually I made it my own and I still play there 6 years later, a bit older and more experienced and a lot heavier!
I am still only a relatively in-experienced 23 and as Oscar Wilde once wrote,"I am not young enough to know everything." anymore. I have plenty left to learn in the game, but I have played behind many packs at Caldy and in front of many backs. None have been more exciting than those I am playing with this year.
We are 6 games into the season this year and are sat on top of the National 3 North league table.

Caldy, as many teams do in a newly reached semi-professional environment, have fought (so far successfully) to keep a balance in the senior squad of home-grown talent from our mini and junior sections and the inevitable influence of outside players. All of whom have been as warmly welcomed as I was many years ago.
We have started the season strongly, and our performances appear to be building week after week. The start for me personally could not have been a more frustrating one. A pre-season game and victory at Blaydon saw me tear my hamstring as a dove to tackle a winger that put me out for a month. I am sure as any injured or banned player will tell you, there is nothing more frustrating than having to watch your team play, especially loose without you being able to help. The move from security and excitement when playing with your teammates one week to the frustration and almost isolation you feel sat on the touchline having to watch them compete without you the next is almost surreal.

On a lighter note, myself and my little brother will be in the same 1st XV squad for the first time tomorrow evening for a floodlit cup game at New Brighton RUFC against Birkenhead Park. He is 5 years my junior also plays 8 and is larger than I was at his age, some, and only some might also say he has a step of pace on me also....but not many!! I look forward to sharing some game time with him as I take over the leadership of the team temporarily from our Captain Shaun Woof.

If you want to read the match reports, the most recent was beating Huddersfield away 37-9, and follow how Caldy are doing you can do so by going to the following: www caldyrugby.co.uk

My girlfriend who is relatively new to the game often asks me questions about the laws and terms of the game, but when asked what is a forward? I struggle to come up with a more eloquent answer than as described by Peter Fitzsimmons, "Forwards are the gnarled and scarred creatures who have a propensity for running into and bleeding all over each other."