Key man Morris is soldiering on (From Free Press Series)

Key man Morris is soldiering on

11:00am Wednesday 21st July 2010

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PONTYPOOL have boosted their prospects for the coming season by persuading their talisman number eight Geraint Morris to play on at the Park.

The 28-year-old was inspirational as Pooler secured their Premiership status with a late season charge.

But it looked like helping the club finish 13th and condemning Ebbw Vale to the drop would be the final act of Morris’ playing career.

The captain was not training at the end of the campaign and played through the pain after his left knee, which he previously had all the cartilage removed from, flared up.

His then four-week-old son Tate was the Pooler mascot for the win over Newport that secured their top flight status and the number eight seemed resigned to hanging up his boots.

But the Pooler coaching staff were determined to convince him to carry on and their persistence has paid off.

“He signed the other week and has been training hard,” said head coach James Chapron, who is yet to decide who will be his skipper for the coming campaign.

“It’s a real boost and it also seems he will be able to play a big role for us. We initially thought we would have to help him through the season but it seems the knee problem was mostly caused by the large amount of games in a short space of time.

“He has been training twice a week and has not had any problems – he’s not filled up with ibuprofen any more! I think he will be fine and we look likely to have a strong back row with Adam Brake (who has rejoined the club after a year with Llanelli) coming back from a shoulder injury in mid-September.”

Morris is staying with a Pooler squad that has been bolstered by the arrivals of lock Matthew Veatter, wing/full-back Mike Burke, back-row forward Luke Dyckhoff, scrum-half Andrew Quick, centre Max Woodward, prop Dan Barlow, fly-half Tom Hancock and wing Oli Halford.

Meanwhile, exciting young lock Royce Cadman has signed a dual-contract with Newport Gwent Dragons and Bedwas.

It is part of the player partnership scheme that also sees the club profiting from the presence in their ranks of centre Tom Cooper and prop Phil Price, who will train full-time with the region. Cadman is an imposing second row whose efforts for Hartpury College earned selection for the England Students Elite Squad earlier this year and caught the eye of Bedwas coach Steve Law and the Dragons management.

The Bridge Field side have also signed scrum-half David Walsh and wing Ryan Owen, who were at Newport last season, as well as props Scott Roberts, and Jake Cooper, lock Gareth Knight, back rows Rhys Watkins, Richard Jenkins, Sam Feehan, full-back Elliot Foyles and centres Charlie Johnson and Ross Wardell.

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