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Scarlets sign Powell

Printed From: Scarlet Fever Llanelli Rugby Sport Wales Tickets
Category: RUGBY
Forum Name: SCARLETS GENERAL
Forum Description: Team News, Season Tickets, Next Match
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Topic: Scarlets sign Powell
Posted By: wizard
Subject: Scarlets sign Powell
Date Posted: 17 August 2004 at 1:49pm

Llanelli Scarlets have strengthened their back row ahead of the new season by signing number eight Andy Powell.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/welsh/3572656.stm - Full Story Here

Position: Number 8
Date of Birth: 23/08/81 (23)
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 18st 11lb

Former clubs: Newport, Beziers, Leicester
Honours: Wales A
Wales u18, u19, u21
Wales 7s
Barbarians




Replies:
Posted By: Chesswithdeath
Date Posted: 17 August 2004 at 1:51pm
Wow - big story Wiz, great news!


Posted By: Chesswithdeath
Date Posted: 17 August 2004 at 1:52pm
How d'you think he'll manage with the language and culture of Turkville though?


Posted By: Pan handle
Date Posted: 17 August 2004 at 2:00pm
Very Good news


Posted By: Beefs army
Date Posted: 17 August 2004 at 2:00pm

On the ball there Wiz

 

Great news for us - damn fine signing



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Bill Shankly: "If you can't support us when we lose or draw, don't support us when we win."


Posted By: Gemma
Date Posted: 17 August 2004 at 2:48pm
Brilliant!


Posted By: Delboy
Date Posted: 17 August 2004 at 2:53pm
Good player, massive strength in depth for our back row.  Really good news.  Can't wait to get down Stradey for the new season


Posted By: Boynsmun
Date Posted: 17 August 2004 at 4:18pm
Wooohooo - fingers crossed for this since he started training with us - great news! xx


Posted By: John
Date Posted: 17 August 2004 at 5:18pm

Originally posted by Chesswithdeath Chesswithdeath wrote:

How d'you think he'll manage with the language and culture of Turkville though?

He comes from Brecon which is part of our region.

So he's just a lost soul returning home.



Posted By: Pwllender
Date Posted: 17 August 2004 at 10:22pm
Good Signing by us again !  - so thats 2 new faces in the back row ?

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APATHY, ITS BORING.


Posted By: Pedro Diniz
Date Posted: 18 August 2004 at 2:11am

What a find! Let's just hope he shows how he can really play, and not let the hype of playing for the Celtic League champs go to his head.

Brilliant signing.



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"I can't see the Germans getting back into this...they've only got Kuntz up front..."
(Alan Hansen, during Euro 96).


Posted By: Chesswithdeath
Date Posted: 18 August 2004 at 12:54pm
Red dawn a chance for Powell to rebuild

Aug 18 2004

Simon Thomas, The Western Mail

 

ANDY POWELL believes he has returned to Wales a better player and a stronger person after his Anglo-French adventures.

The 23-year-old Wales A No 8 was yesterday unveiled as a new signing by the Scarlets, having spent the summer training at Stradey Park.

It is a new start for the former Newport star, who spent seven injury-plagued months with Beziers last season before parting company with the French outfit and ending the campaign with Leicester.

"I have definitely missed the Welsh scene and it's good to be back," said Powell.

"To be in the Llanelli set-up is even better. It's been great to see a few familiar faces and there's good banter with the boys.

"The first week of pre-season training was tough, but it's getting better quietly now. I'm on the way up."

Powell will have his work cut out to make the Scarlets first-team, with their star-studded back-row department featuring internationals Scott Quinnell, Simon Easterby, Dafydd Jones and David Hodges.

But he insists, "I'm definitely up for the challenge. I'm just going to try and push them for a place and hope it comes off.

"If it doesn't, I'll just keep on working harder and wait for my time to come."

Great things were expected of Powell when he burst on the scene with Newport and he rapidly added Wales A honours to those gained at U18, U19 and U21 levels.

But his career stalled last term following his decision to head for Beziers rather than join the new Dragons regional team.

The move to France was to prove a brief and ill-fated one.

"Beziers was a good club and it was a good offer," he said.

"But the language barrier was quite tough. Looking back, I should have had six weeks of lessons to start off with to help me know what I was doing.

"I was living on my own over there as well, which was quite tough.

"The main problem I had was my knee injury. It did affect me for quite a while and made me feel a bit down.

"In the end, Beziers agreed to release me. They were quite understanding.

"They could see I wasn't really getting on because of the injury and maybe there was a bit of loneliness as well."

Powell added, "I went out there when I was 22, which is pretty young. But at least I've tried it and done it now.

"I learned a lot from Dean Richards and John Wells during my time with Leicester as well. They were good to me as a club.

"So I don't really have any regrets about the decisions I've made.

"I've tried it in France and learned from the mistakes and that is the way it is sometimes.

"Little things didn't go the right way and perhaps it was the wrong move at the wrong time, but that's gone now.

"I've moved on from that. I'm back in Wales and ready to start again.

"I am a better player and definitely a stronger person."

Powell - an imposing figure at 6ft 4ins and 18st 11lbs - will make his debut for the Scarlets in Friday's friendly against Gloucester at Kingsholm.

"You need to put your stamp down straight away and Gloucester will be a good test, while Wasps will be a big game the week after," he said.

"I am just going to take every step as it comes. It's a case of getting a few games under my belt and if anything comes after that, it comes."

Director of rugby Gareth Jenkins believes Powell could have a long and successful association with the Scarlets.

"This young boy proved early on in his career that he had immense talent," said Jenkins.

"Maybe he had a bit of bad luck with some of his choices last season.

"An injury down in Beziers really complicated the situation there.

"Being as young as he was as well, he probably wasn't totally prepared to deal with the type of pressure that playing in France puts on you.

"What Andy has done is recognise and realise that he needs to re-establish and rebuild his career.

"I believe he can add to what we have here. The fact that he is as young as he is as well means we could be bringing a talent into the club that could put five, six, seven, eight years of investment into our future.

"I am excited by the prospect of having Andy in a talented back row.

"I am well aware that we can not have enough talented players to satisfy and realise our ambitions."

 


Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 18 August 2004 at 8:03pm
great signing, good player he will learn everything he needs to know off quinnell and powell will become a great player!!


Posted By: ursamajor
Date Posted: 18 August 2004 at 11:14pm
Best signing yet to my mind. The guy was an awesome
prospect at Newport. With the right guidance, let's hope he can
become the finished article.


Posted By: MikeM
Date Posted: 19 August 2004 at 8:55am
I think he is a very good signing and if anyone can get the best out of him the Gypo can.

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Through Thick And Thin!


Posted By: Alan
Date Posted: 19 August 2004 at 10:51am
Excellent signing. However I'm a bit confused, both the official website and the WM say Hodges is playing again this year. I thought he had retired from playing to concentrate on his job as weight training coach.


Posted By: Beefs army
Date Posted: 19 August 2004 at 10:55am

He retired as an Eagles international

 



Posted By: wizard
Date Posted: 19 August 2004 at 11:03am

Originally posted by Alan Alan wrote:

Excellent signing. However I'm a bit confused, both the official website and the WM say Hodges is playing again this year. I thought he had retired from playing to concentrate on his job as weight training coach.

I was also under the impression that he had retired from all playing.

Either we got the info wrong or he has had a change of heart.



Posted By: pwllendprincess
Date Posted: 20 August 2004 at 7:40pm
i saw Powell going down to stradey on thursday actually, on the way to get my a-level results

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PwllEnd Princess (P.E.P) xxxx



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