Quietly, a young Welsh rugby player did something pretty special last weekend.
Yes, Jac Morgan played the house down for Wales against Argentina and Louis-Rees Zammit seamlessly fitted in at full-back in the same game.
But a few hours earlier, 175 miles away, one of Morgan’s old Wales U20s team-mates was also having a good day.
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Morgan Strong scored four tries in the English Championship for Ampthill in their 29-5 win over Richmond. It was the first time since his school days for the No. 8 to achieve such a feat in a single game.
The former Wales U20 and Ospreys forward, who predictably took the man-of-the-match award, told WalesOnline: “Before last weekend, I hadn't scored four tries in a game since I was about 14 or 15.”
But there was also modesty from the son of popular former Aberavon, Pontypridd, Bridgend, Caerphilly and Tondu player Nathan Strong.
“To be fair, they were all driving maul tries,” he said. “We had a good platform at the weekend and I was just lucky to be on the end of those drives. It was a good win.”
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Many will be pleased to see the hard-driving back-row forward settling in his new surroundings.
The former Wales U20s ace left Welsh rugby in the summer after turning down a new contract with the Ospreys and claiming he wanted to play more rugby. At the time, he said his opportunities were limited to outings with Bridgend and with the regional A team.
But a knee injury checked his early momentum at Ampthill and cost him a couple of months on the sidelines.
In recent weeks, however, he has been making up for lost time.
“I’m just pleased to be playing,” he said. “We played Newport in our first pre-season game and it was going really well until I picked up a knee injury in the 70th minute, ruling me out for a couple of months.
“But I’ve played the last five games on the bounce, the first time I’ve done that since I was 16.
“I’ve said what I said. I didn’t have opportunities to do that back home. It was as I said a few months ago. I’d get loaned out to Bridgend, and I loved that because Bridgend is my home town and it meant a lot to play for them.
“But it would be here and there. Over my three-year contract with the Ospreys, I probably played 20-odd games. Over here, I’ve played six games in three months. It may not sound a lot, but it’s something I haven’t done before.
“On a personal level, it means a lot. I think I’m improving as a player because I’m acquiring match fitness that I never previously had.
“Now I want to show I can go seven, eight, nine, 10, 12 games on the bounce and stay fit. I want to show that robustness.”
Strong certainly did his bit in the Wales U20s class of 2020. In the Six Nations game against Italy, he and Ben Carter put in 29 tackles apiece, equalling the tournament record at that level, held by Ireland’s James Ryan.
There was also consistent ball-carrying from the 6ft 1in, 16st 7lb Welsh middle-of-the-back-row man. Strong by name, strong by nature, as someone said at the time.
“Jac Morgan was our captain,” he said. “There were some really good players in the side, including Jac, Ben Carter, Sam Costelow, Aneurin Owen and Ioan Lloyd. A few of them have had caps since and they deserve it. Jac played every game of the campaign and he came to the Ospreys last year and he’s quality.
“What happened, happened. I came through the Ospreys’ academy, went up to the senior team at 18, played in a pre-season game against Hartpury and played for the U20s later that season at 19. Once Covid happened, I felt that sort of stopped my momentum.
“I reached the point where I had to go and find my feet somewhere else. The Ospreys offered me a contract to stay on, but I just felt it wasn’t what was best for me to progress my career at that time. I just wanted to find something new and fresh.
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“I just felt this was the best thing for me to do — go away and have a platform to play week-in, week-out and show what I can do. Here, you are playing regularly, and playing against good opposition as well. Ealing Trailfinders, for instance, have Jonah Holmes in their side. There are some big names in the Championship and big blokes as well.
“Of course there are times when I miss Wales. Where I’m living is pretty quiet, so when I have the chance to come home I do enjoy it. But the main thing for me now is to be playing. Ampthill have given me that chance and I’m grateful for it.”
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