A YEAR ago Robson Blake was chopping down trees while playing for Bedlinog in Division One East, but this afternoon the back row forward will aim to send Gloucester players crashing to earth in the Anglo-Welsh Cup with Newport Gwent Dragons.

The 21-year-old has enjoyed a rapid rise this season after a summer move to Bedwas in the Principality Premiership was swiftly followed by the offer of a full-time Dragons deal.

Blake is still a tree surgeon for now but in the summer will go from training a couple of days a week with the professionals at the region’s Ystrad Mynach training base to being a full-timer himself.

It’s a steep learning curve for the easy-going forward from Powys but he’s determined to grab his unexpected chance.

“Training is different, you don’t just turn up for an hour on a cold and wet night. It’s all day and the analysis that goes with it, watching clips and this and that,” said Blake, who will make his third regional cameo off the bench today.

“A lot of the boys came through the academies and it was a bit daunting when I first came here because I was thinking ‘I don’t know what I’m doing here, I’m not a pro’. It felt a bit weird but the boys have made me feel welcome.

“This is their job and most of the boys have done this for years while I go out on a damp day and cut some wood, have my lunch, go back out.

“I still haven’t got used to the computers yet to try and find my clips… I’m not the best with technology!

“I’m still getting used to that and learning all the calls and different lineouts. They are giving me plenty of things to work on because as you go up the levels it’s more about technique, whereas I used to just use by body weight and wrestle people to the floor.”

On that subject of weight, Blake has proved to be a hard man to stop in his previous two outings thanks to his hefty frame. He currently tips the scales at 133kg but knows that he needs a summer of fine-tuning.

“I’ll probably have to have a pre pre-season if I’m honest,” said Blake. “I need to work on a bit of speed, my jumping and this and that.”

However, ball carrying will always be his strength and the Dragons will be looking for him to cause a bit of mayhem off the bench at Kingsholm.

“I’ve got an opportunity here and want to make the most of it,” said Blake, a former Wales Under-16s cricketer with a top score of 151 with Ebbw Vale.

“Gloucester is another chance to make an impact and hopefully I can. If not I’ll go back to Bedwas and work on the things they want from me.

“I’ll just go out there and do what I do. We’ll see what happens on the day and I don’t think too much about it. If it works it works, if it doesn’t then move on to next week.”

But whether it’s Bedlinog, Bedwas or the Dragons, the approach will be the same.

“I’ve just tried to play rugby,” said Blake, who locked horns with England and Lions back rower Tom Croft on debut in front of 18,000 at Leicester. “I haven’t tried to do anything different! I just catch the ball and run.”