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." |