Friday Feeling Part I – 24th March 2022

The Thursday & Friday Feeling 24th & 25th March 2022 (Part One)

With last week’s break and now just a month left in the league season, we took the opportunity to have a chat with a few of the senior 1st XV players to get their views on the season so far and a look forward to this Saturday’s home game against Taunton Titans. The player’s discussion and the Taunton preview are in two parts over today and tomorrow.

Part One Players’ Discussion

An equal split between forwards and backs would have been ideal but the initial participants were selected by long term injured playmaker Lewis Barker who was also in charge of the technology. Unfortunately, on the day the Ravers’ captain JJ Dickinson was not available and a discussion with him and a few other players will take place in the next couple of weeks

For this first such interview, Lewis selected some of the more excitable members of the senior squad (all backs!) balanced out by the gigantic presence of a more thoughtful Tom Sanders.

Each of the group provided us with a bit of background on themselves (unverified) consisting of age, day job, height and weight and any other information they considered to be important:

Joe Murray (29) – scrum half, Operations Manager for Amazon, 5ft 6in, ‘stocky’

Ben Jones (29) – winger, Pharmacist in Rock Ferry, 6ft 1in, 13st 5lbs, ‘single and available’

Lewis Barker (28) – injured, Technical Sales Manager Aluminium Extrusion, 5ft 10in, 13st 5lbs

Mike Barlow (29) – centre, Regional Sales Manager- Corporate Leasing, 6ft 2in, 15st 10ilbs

Tom Sanders (28) – 2nd row, Specialist Blood Cancer Pharmacist, 6ft 7in, 20st 3lbs

How difficult was the step back up to National 1 after such a phenomenal 2019/20 season in National 2 North and a year off for Covid?

Ben: ‘To be honest we didn’t know what to expect, or whether the level had advanced or retreated. It took us a couple of games to find our feet, but this league is so relentless and competitive you are never ‘comfortable’ at this level.

Tom: ‘We were definitely better prepared this time around and we are all a bit more experienced as players. Sam Dickinson’s return to Caldy has also added a vast amount of experience and the senior squad now has significantly more depth. There are still 5 or 6 senior players on the long-term injury list. Players have stepped up seamlessly, we didn’t cope with this last time in National 1, but so far we have managed to this season’

Tom, you, and Lewis are on the long-term injury list. How difficult has it been to sit on the side-lines?

Tom: ‘Very! Although you are included in the squad it is frustrating to watch the progress the team is making and not be involved on the pitch. In my case Sam and Martin are doing a tremendous job in the engine room which is both gratifying but also a bit concerning from a personal point of view!’

Lewis: ‘You have only missed half a dozen games Tom. I did my ACL pre-season, and I am missing all of this journey with the lads. All 6ft 14in of you may have a twinge of concern about your ability to get back into the starting XV but I have next to no hope. Ezra Hinchcliffe has made such a big impact since he broke into the 1st XV that next season I have about as much chance as Wales beating Italy.

Mike: ‘Guys, don’t beat yourselves up about it. I have heard that Liam Devaney and Richard Bradshaw are resurrecting the 3rd xv next year. So next season you will both have a chance of some game time.

Joe, you joined Caldy part way through the season from Wirral RFC. How did you find the jump from level 5 to level 3 and how easy was it to fit in with the Ravers?

Joe: ‘I joined Caldy in early October from Wirral. My first game was at home against Tonbridge Juddians. That was a crazy game. We raced into a 30+ point lead but at the end we were hanging on to get a 47-40 win. The big difference between level 3 and level 5 is the speed and physicality of the game. I had some previous experience at a higher level with Macclesfield, but it was a shock to the system.

Mike: ‘Joe, if you found it a step up, how did Ezra manage a jump from level 7 to level 3 in one go and fit in so well? Crazy!

Joe: ‘Ezra has been exceptional. To be fair everyone at Caldy, players, coaches and supporters have made all the new guys, Me, Ezra, Lucas, Ryan, Sam, Nathan etc so welcome, it has been so easy to fit in.’

Lewis: ‘Joe, Sam and Nathan aren’t newbies, they are returning players. They just took different routes back home.’

Caldy’s away form has been outstanding this season what do you put that down to?

Joe: ‘Guys, let me field this one. It’s all down to Jonesy. Top tiffin and a top quiz set up away days perfectly. Jonesy’s mum Karen makes brilliant and luxurious tiffin. It is always ‘Bake Off ‘standard.

Ben: ‘Joe that is so nice’

Joe: ‘There is a but though…. lately the quiz has been on the slide. Jonesy sucking up to Rich Vasey (Caldy backs coach) by making the last quiz all about Yorkshire was garbage.Questions about roast dinners and Loiners……were just gimmees for Vasey.

Ben: ‘Ok Joe, just to help you out, for the next quiz I am going to include 10 movie questions on ‘Snow White’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings’

Tom: ‘From my point of view our away form has been hugely boosted by our travelling support. Down at Plymouth we only had a handful travelling but they made more noise than a thousand or so Albion fans. Against Sale at Heywood Road, it was madness. So much noise, so much support for the Ravers and last time out against Leeds we had a couple of hundred Caldy minis and their parents. It does make a huge difference to the squad, and we really appreciate it.

What about our home support, does it help, is it noisy enough?

Lewis: ‘We have three home games left beginning this Saturday against Taunton Titans with the prospect of decent weather as well. There is no better place to be on a Saturday with that magnificent view across to Wales as a backdrop to some top National 1 rugby.

Mike: ‘Out of the 5 remaining games 3 are at home. We do need as much support as we can get home and away. It is a stretch to expect people to travel to London and Reading but a big home support this week against Taunton and for the final two home games will make a difference.’

Lewis: ‘Everyone at Caldy is very well mannered and polite, we need a few more like Paul Harrison to make more noise and give it some oomph. What about a tannoy?’

Mike: ‘Lewis, be careful what you wish for. If there was a tannoy Graham Armitage would never be off the mike. Do you really want to risk being publicly reminded by Graham before, after and during a game ‘to leave a nice clean pitch for the Last of the Summer Wine Gangand that sort of thing.’

Part Two Tomorrow.