Dai Young is ready to get “stuck in” as he prepares for his first match in charge since making a return to Cardiff Blues last week.
The former Cardiff, Wales and British & Irish Lions prop will take charge of his first game since returning to the Arms Park as interim director of rugby, with Cardiff Blues set to challenge Scarlets in Llanelli on Friday.
Young previously enjoyed a nine-year spell with the region, winning the EDF Energy Cup and Amlin Challenge Cup, before departing for Wasps in 2011.
The former Welsh international is eager to be hands-on on the training field and, while he says there has been changes from when he departed, he was also delighted to see some familiar faces around the training ground.
“It’s very different, but very much the same as well. There are a lot of things that aren’t too different from when I left, but there is a lot of new personnel and different people in charge,” said the director of rugby.
“It’s something that I probably hadn’t envisaged six to 10 months ago but I’m really enjoying being back.
“I’ve only been back for a week or so, but I’ve enjoyed meeting up with the guys that I know and also meeting some new players and staff that I’m not so familiar with.
“I was confident that I’d be back in work in June, so I thought the next couple of months would’ve been about me looking at opportunities that would arise later in the year.
“But when I had the phone call I sat down and thought about it and if it had been two or three seasons since leaving then it probably wouldn’t have been the right thing.
“But it’s been pretty much 10 years now so while it feels like I’m coming back it also feels like a very different challenge and a very different place.
“I think I’m experienced enough to adapt to whichever role is put in front of me. Titles can be mis-leading, if I’m honest.
“You look at the directors of rugby in the English Premiership, and they all pretty much do a different job. Some are hands-on, and some are not.
“But I see my strength in being on the field and from my point-of-view I want to be involved with the coaching and that’s where I see myself moving forward.
“Whichever title comes with that doesn’t really matter but you have to be involved with recruitment but we also have a very experienced CEO here in Richard Holland who will help me out in that department.
“It’s about working to your strengths, and my strengths are on the field, being hands-on and getting stuck into it.
However, the 53-year-old has been encouraged by the quality both on and off the field at the Arms Park but acknowledges the challenges ahead over the coming months.
“I see a lot of talent in the squad here. I think everyone recognises where the challenges are and if you look at the front five there is a lot of youngsters there, so there’s a lot of scope for them to improve and develop.
“Everyone recognises the strength behind the scrum with game-changers there and the challenge is giving them the ball to do their stuff.
“Going into camp I was also pleasantly surprised at how well-resourced the club are off the field.
“That was important. There’s quality heads of departments here with sufficient numbers in the physiotherapy and conditioning departments, making sure the preparations for the players are where they need to be.
“The facilities have been difficult over this period, due to the pandemic, but there’s positive discussions on that and hopefully it will be solved sooner rather than later.
“The big challenges, as it was when I was here previous, will be the games around the international periods and the players you’ll lose.”
But Young’s immediate attention is on the Guinness PRO14 encounter against Scarlets.
After a stunning Jarrod Evans-inspired victory last time out against the west Wales outfit, Young has warned his side to expect a backlash on Friday but wants his side to show the same intent and intensity as they target back-to-back victories.
Young added: “They’re a quality outfit with a lot of experienced players in their squad, and they’ve had a few more coming back.
“They’re well coached and have a really good environment. They’ve been the top team in Wales for a number of seasons and won’t take kindly to us beating them a couple of weeks ago.
“But we need to worry more about ourselves. We know their qualities and what they’ll bring.
“Now it’s about the Blues addressing it in the same way as they did last time. We need to go out with some real intent and take the game to them.
“We want to play the rugby that we know we’re capable of. Discipline has been a big word this week, because last time we did give Scarlets some easy field positions through penalties and that got them back in the game and we lost some momentum.
“I thought the forwards really stood up and did well at both set pieces and the physical aspects. The games are won or lost up front, and it’s the backs who decide by how much.”