We’ll die for each other, says the man rebuilding Pontypridd RFC on a youth revolution

By Kian Monaghan

“WE die for each other on the pitch.” That’s the jolting verdict from director of rugby Justin Burnell on his youthful new-look Pontypridd RFC side.

The men from Sardis Road, having enjoyed so much success at semi-professional level in the last decade and more, undergone a reboot this season, with a massive part of their recruitment now being emphasised on youth.

It could mean they no longer pose quite the threat they once did when the Indigo Group Premiership kicks off on December 11.

But judging by Burnell’s words, there will be no lack of effort.

“Although we’ve got a very young squad, we’ve got young players who are very individually driven, because of the systems they’ve been in, and we’re very blessed with that,” he said.

“When you add in Sam Evans, who is 18 and started No8 against Ebbw Vale. When you think of Iwan Prys Jones on the wing who’s also 18… you know, it’s by far the youngest squad in the Premiership but these kids are just individually driven.”

The average age of the Pontypridd match-day squad against Merthyr RFC at Sardis Road two weeks ago was just 24.

And five players in the squad versus Cardiff RFC last Friday night at Cardiff Arms Park – Morgan Richards, Ben Burnell, Cally James, Evan Lloyd and Daffydd Buckland – were all involved in Wales U-20s Six Nations squads in the last three seasons.

While there have been a lot of academy players making an impact in the Premiership, Burnell believes there’s also plenty of young players located around Pontypridd that could make the step up – like Sam Evans,

“What we have to do is work very closely with, for instance USW, and then our surrounding clubs like Beddau, Llantwit Fadre and Cilfynydd as well, because there are some very good youngsters in this system,” Burnell added.

“So what you are trying to do is create a hotbed of talent outside of the parameters of your regional teams because as it stands they all get contracted (with the regions).

“Good youngsters will go down one pathway, but we have to make a system that is able to support the non-contracted players.”

The departure of the talismanic Dafydd Lockyer might have proved a real problem for Ponty, but so far in the Premiership Cup, they have found a style of play that allows them to generate an attacking platform without him occupying the inside-centre berth.

Burnell believes the likes of young fly-half Ben Burnell, his 18-year-old son, and newly appointed captain Morgan Sieniawski have stood up in the middle of the park,

Burnell explained: “We’re very lucky with Ben at the moment, he’s been a maverick.

“Is he going to cross-kick or is he going to dink the ball? Is he going to dribble the ball? It just makes teams think about which way we are going to attack from.

“We also have a couple of big ball carriers.

“We’re lucky with our youngsters at the moment, it’s a style of play that we’re working towards but it’s a style of play you have to be very fit to play.”

Despite a disappointing 29-15 result against a Cardiff RFC side packed with players contracted to Cardiff Rugby, Burnell believes there was plenty to take from the defeat.

“It was a tremendous advert for Premiership rugby. You know, there’s two sides who just went at each other, it was ferocious,” said Burnell.

“They gave us the respect we deserved. I think Cardiff had 14 or 15 full-time players, but we stood up to them.

“There were silly mistakes from us which were disappointing, and we should have come away with a losing bonus point.

“What we’ve created at Pontypridd is that willingness, it’s a pretty old school environment,

“We have this mindset of we just go out there and we’re just dying for each other, we’re going to give 100% and if we make mistakes, well that’s life.”

Ponty sit now sit third in the Indigo premiership East, behind Newport and Cardiff, and they travel to top of the table Newport this Saturday.