Room 101: Gavin Cattle – Cornish Pirates scrum-half

1. Mobile phone-obsessed friends
During the week it’s nice to meet up with some of your team-mates and go for a coffee together, although sometimes you wonder why you bother given the amount of time you actually spend talking to one another. In the case of Alan Paver conversational time is extremely limited, because just as you are sitting down his phone will ring and he’ll disappear outside the café to take the call. It’s his testimonial season this year so, more often than not, his phone is buzzing, which leaves you sitting there all alone looking like a spare part. Once he’s done on the phone he’ll come back and say, ‘I’ve got to shoot now!’
TRP verdict: He’d only bore you talking about scrums, anyway, so what’s the big deal! You’re out.
2. Tight team-mates
Those people who don’t like parting with their cash but don’t mind spending other people’s money annoy me. I’ve come across a few ‘tight wads’ in my time in rugby, although, I’m pleased to say, there’s none at the Pirates. It’s normally the guys that are on good wages, too! Dafydd James, a former team-mate of mine at the Scarlets, has the best tactics when it comes to buying a round. He’s the master at fielding a pretend call just before it’s his turn to get the drinks in. We used to give him loads of stick about it but he is pretty stubborn and never changed his ways. I cannot recall him buying even a coffee.
TRP verdict: Round 2 goes to you. You’re in.
3. Christmas games
I love Christmas, even more so now that our two year-old daughter has an understanding of what is going on. She’s bouncing off the walls with excitement already. Part of our family tradition is to have a social game between past and present players at my local club on Boxing Day. We’d have a whiskey to warm up and away we’d go. But because of professional rugby I haven’t been able to do that for about seven years. I can understand why clubs schedule games for Boxing Day, because they’re a real money-spinner as the public are off and you’re more likely to get good crowds in. They’re normally derby games, too, which are enjoyable to play in. We’ve got Plymouth away this season. But, from a personal point of view, I’d prefer not to have to play the day after Christmas Day. It would mean not missing out on some of the things that perhaps other people take for granted.
TRP verdict: Without Boxing Day games and an excuse to get outside the nation would be struck down by cabin fever. It’s a small price to pay for the well-being of the nation so, sorry Gav, you’re out.