Skipper Will Foden says high-flying Rosslyn Park won’t want to come to Dockham Road for their first big test of 2013.  It’s sure to be a mudbath following the relentless rains of December, something Foden relishes.

He said: “We probably wouldn’t ask to play them (Rosslyn Park) first up after Christmas, but they definitely won’t want to come to Cinderford either. “They’re notorious London boys who want to play rugby, but these are our conditions and we will work hard.  “I suppose there will be pressure on both teams for different reasons. We’ve lost three on the bounce but people shouldn’t lose sight of how well we’ve actually done this season. This time last year we only had 25 points.”

Cinderford’s pre-Christmas performance at Coventry was hugely disappointing but Foden believes it was ‘a blip’ because ‘Coventry played their best rugby of the season’. He added: “Three years ago, when we were fighting for our lives, we beat Blackheath at home in four inches of mud. “The conditions on Saturday will test Rosslyn Park’s forwards.  “Having said that, a lot of our players have not played in these conditions at this level.
“We trained outdoors last Saturday at St Peter’s School in horrendous weather and I’ve never been so wet. It was a tough but very productive session.”

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