Room 101: Andrew Savage – Nottingham full-back

1. Scrumming for penalties
Being an outside back I like the game to be an exciting, fast flowing, and high tempo spectacle. This wish is scuppered though when 16 boneheads (aka the forwards) scrum down for 10 minutes in the middle of a match to try and gain some kind of superiority. Don’t get me wrong I can appreciate the fact a dominant scrum is a great way of tieing in the opposition back row to provide great one-on-one opportunities for the backs. That’s all well and good in theory, but the reality is the ball never comes out when your pack has the shove on because the forwards know if they keep the ball in there long enough they’ll win a penalty.
TRP verdict:  We’ll take a Savage attack over scrum bores any day. You’re in.
2. Gym Heads
Going to the gym and training is a major part of any professional rugby player’s routine, and thankfully at Nottingham, like most other clubs, we have our own gym to train in away from the general public. However, every now and again I do go to a public gym and, without fail, you’ll see a ‘roided up mutant’ in an Ibiza vest and snap back cap, maxing out the cable crossover machine. I’m not saying that people shouldn’t go to the gym as part of a healthy lifestyle, but I really don’t understand why you would put in that much time, effort and money just to fill a t-shirt on a Saturday night. Get a hobby!
TRP verdict:  Chin-ups Andy, we agree the Gym is grim…so you’re in.
3. Smart phones cheats
In principle I don’t have a problem with smart phones, however I do have a problem with how they’re used. I think they make everything too easy by giving you the answer to every question at your fingertips via the internet. As a group you can never get into proper debates and discussions because some smart-arse has found out the answer within a minute on their I-God! Monday night quizzes down the local have been ruined as a result. Recently we lost to a group of 17-year-old girls with half an NVQ between them.
TRP verdict:  Ah, the web of deceit. The book should be thrown at these cheats, you’re in again.