PONTYPOOL RFC chief executive officer Ben Jeffreys has taken time out during a short break in the fixture schedule for his club to reflect on the season so far.

Pooler currently sit third in the SWALEC Championship, five points adrift of west Wales side Swansea, who travel to Pontypool Park on Saturday.

Swansea have three games in hand on their rivals, but Saturday’s game could prove decisive in terms of confidence down the stretch.

Jeffreys, formerly Pooler corporate director, assumed the role of CEO from his father, Peter, in December.

It transpired to be a month of considerable change for Pooler with club legend Alun Carter standing down from his position of director of rugby shortly after.

Carter only took over the position in the summer, following the sudden departure of first team coach Mike Hook, leaving fans and others connected with the club worried about the effect on the side.

But Pooler have won three out of five game since then, with the losses coming courtesy of a heartbreaking 8-7 loss to Narberth and a Swalec Cup defeat to Principality Premiership side Bedwas.

Jeffreys said: “I am really proud of everyone connected with the club and the way they have responded over the last month.

“Situations like this can go one of two ways, but everyone has remembered that the club is most important and all have responded in kind.

“We put in a huge effort at Narberth, where we have a terrible away record, and were incredibly unlucky. And the Bedwas game just showed the gap we have to bridge to get to where we want to be – a challenge we fully embrace.

“Our ambition is to finish at least in the top three. Going into the season there was talk this would be ‘our year’.

“But the departure of Mike signalled the start of a disruptive summer and it took us time to rebound from that.

“Nevertheless we have a renewed confidence going into Saturday’s showdown, and fully embrace these big matches at Pontypool Park.”

The club is actively seeking a head coach, but Jeffreys said the process would not be rushed.

“We have to get the right person,” he added. “There is no timeframe on that. It could be next week, it could be next season.

“The coaching team in place has done a tremendous job.”

Jeffreys also spoke openly about the news that Roger Lewis is to leave the WRU as chief executive after the World Cup.

Jeffreys was one of just four to back a vote of no confidence in the WRU back in the summer, with 462 others voting against the resolution.

He said the outcome of that meeting demonstrated a “lack of courage and integrity” but is hopeful of a fresh start for the club game, which he has long said is ‘dying’ in its current form.

“When criticised Roger Lewis his behind a smokescreen of Six Nations, World Cup and Millenium Stadium success.

“But his attitude killed club rugby in Wales. At the moment it is a joke.

“Roger Lewis is totally accountable for that, that will be his legacy, with former chairman David Pickering.

“But they hid in their bubble and it came back to bite them.”

“We have a good chair now in Gareth Davies. It is essential we get behind him. We need a chief executive that shares the same philosophy as him. Someone who respects the game, respects the clubs and the history and respects the fans above all else.

“I have no time for people who say the regions are here and the clubs are gone. But we have lost a lot of fans. It will take a massive job to turn that around.”