MIKE Hook has been thrown in at the deep end as bottom club Pontypool bid for their first win of the season against Carmarthen Quins tomorrow afternoon.

It has been an eventful week for Pooler with the departure of head coach Gareth Lintern on Monday and his assistant Jared Lougher following the next evening.

Scrum-half Tom Edwards has also left the club and is expected to join Bedwas, though that is not connected to the coaching exits and he had already been eyeing a move, while Pooler are still plagued by injuries.

It all serves to make it a challenging weekend for Hook, who helped take the lead in training on Tuesday and last night and will be in charge against the Quins.

He only joined the coaching staff in the summer as assistant backs coach after being forced to quit the game because of a neck injury.

Analyst James Chapron and team manager Colin Brennan will assist the 26-year-old, who enlisted younger brother and Wales international James to give a kicking clinic for Pooler before the season.

“We have just been trying to get on with things as normal and we have a game to focus on,” said Hook.

“We have been in a few close games against top sides like Llanelli and Neath but have just fallen at the final hurdle.

“Gareth and Jared worked hard on a good positive structure, keeping ball in hand, and we just need to build on that.”

Carmarthen have had a mixed start to the season after coming up from Division One West and sit in 12th place, two places and eight points above Pooler.

However, they have struggled on their travels and have lost all three of their games away from Carmarthen Park.

Meanwhile Lougher has expressed his sorrow at the way it all ended for him and Lintern.

“I still believe in what we were doing and I have had some nice calls from the players since leaving,” he said.

“I have plenty of fond memories and we played some exciting rugby but we were constantly battling against injuries.

“I am disappointed to leave but it happens in rugby – it’s a results driven league as well as a development one.

“I thanked Frank and Merril (Stanton, the owners) for the opportunity and after enjoying a break before Christmas I will look forward to getting back into the game.”

Skipper and hooker Leighton Jones and wing Steve Taylor give a timely boost by coming back from injury. There is one space to be filled on the bench, hopefully by a scrum-half.

Pontypool: N Williams, S Taylor, G O’Driscoll, P Price, G Williams, S Mills, C Morgan, N Giles, L Jones (captain), N Blake, K Maiden, D Critchley, S Pailor, C Trayhern, G Morris. Replacements: AN Other, C Cunningham, R Bowen, M Allen, M Barber, L Davies, J Jeune.