PONTYPOOL intend to be braver on the ball in their second season back in the big time as they prepare to get the Super Rygbi Cymru campaign up and running.
Pooler will entertain double winners Llandovery on Thursday night to get the first year of the new 10-team competition up and running.
Leighton Jones’ men face a huge test against the Drovers, who are hunting a third title on the spin, but they plan to show signs of summer progress.
Pooler returned to the Premiership last season and performed solidly to finish sixth, albeit they fell out of the play-off race after early form dropped off.
“The start of the season was very good but we got caught a little but short at times,” admitted back rower Scott Matthews, who is now defence coach along with his playing duties.
“In the Championship you could afford to drop a week whereas in the Premiership you couldn’t, you need to back it up.
“If there had been the build up to playing Bargoed, for example, then you could relax a bit until the next big game but last season we were going up against a Llandovery at home then an Ebbw Vale away.
“There is no let-off in the quality of the league and that was a big learning curve in terms of backing up performances week on week.
“At times, certainly towards the end of the season, we didn’t do that but I still feel that we did ourselves proud with our first year back.
“We held our own, proved that we deserve to be there and are very much looking forward to going again in this new league. Now we want to push on after just falling short of the play-offs.”
Llandovery and Newport, who were edged out in the final, set the standards last season by playing with style and also getting results.
After getting used to life back in the top flight, Pooler intend to add a bit more enterprise to go along with Gwent grit.
“Every club is trying to get better and we have some areas where we fell short, in terms of trying to play [expansively], and Tom Hancock coming in will help with that,” said Matthews, with the former fly-half returning to the club from Llandovery as attack coach while working with the Dragons academy.
“It’s going to take some time but when we get firing I can’t see any reason why having the mix of the traditional Pontypool way and some new-style rugby can’t be effective.
“There is no doubt that Llandovery and Newport have been the top teams with the way that they play the game and other teams need to be brave if they are to push them.
“It’s a massive challenge to go up against the back-to-back champions first up but hopefully the Pooler Army will be out in force because we feed off that support.
“Llandovery fully deserve everything they have achieved recently but why not get amongst it and see what we can do? We won’t fear them, we’ll relish the challenge against a quality side.”
Matthews is still a key figure at 30 - “the fire is still burning” - but the former Dragons and Cross Keys man has been replaced as captain by Mike Herbert.
“I am really excited for Mikey taking over as skipper, he’s a local lad from Pontypool who wears his heart on his sleeve,” said Matthews, rugby Academy coordinator at Coleg Gwent.
“He will want togetherness and one thing he will definitely demand is that you put the effort in and fight until the final whistle.”
All clubs will progress to the post-season finals but placings matter with seventh hosting tenth and eight entertaining ninth in the wild card round.
There will then be quarter-finals and semis based on seedings before the grand final - now at a neutral venue - on May 17.
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