The famous Roman town’s rugby club – currently second in the league – can already boast Scarlets fly-half Angus O’Brien as attack coach. Now they’ve complemented flair with power in the form of Dragons back rower Harrison Keddie, who will take the reins of the forwards. For both players, it’s been something of a homecoming.
“I played youth with ‘Gussy’ at Caerleon and then we were together at the Dragons for a while,” explains Keddie, who hails from nearby Llanvaches. “About two months ago he asked if I wanted to come down and help out with a few things and I’ve been going ever since.”
It’s come full circle for Keddie, who first rocked up at The Broadway as a 14-year-old. His appreciation for the importance of grassroots rugby is vast. “It’s massive on a number of levels, not least in getting young people involved in team sports in a way that’s enjoyable and keeps them fit,” believes the 23-year-old. “But I’d say the same thing applies as you get older. Even though it’s senior rugby and it’s really competitive, you still have to appreciate the fact that it’s an amateur club and the guys are there for the love of the game.
“That’s the one thing [head coach] Jon Burgess, [defence coach] Chris Macey and Gussy have been brilliant at is keeping it fun while also maintaining that competitive element.”
Keddie’s chance arose with the recent decision by previous forwards coach Adam Brake to step back onto the playing field, of which Burgess said: “I’d like to thank Adam for his efforts. It can be difficult losing a coach at this point in the season, so to have someone of Harri’s calibre come on board is beneficial for everyone. He’s been brilliant with the boys and the knowledge he can pass on is invaluable. Maybe of more importance is that we’ve gained another Caerleon boy as a coach.”
For Keddie, who will be involved tonight against Worcester Warriors at Rodney Parade, inspiration comes from the coaches he’s worked with over the years. His most recent, Director of Dragons Rugby Dean Ryan, has had a particular effect. “He’s given us a lot of confidence around the way we’re trying to play,” says Keddie. “He’s good at giving everyone a proper understanding of their role around the pitch – in terms of making sure everyone knows what outcomes we want from certain situations, and why we’re doing certain things – as opposed to just saying ‘this is what we’re doing, go do it’.”
His addition to the Caerleon staff brings the average age of the coaching team down to 27 – possibly the youngest in the Welsh leagues. It seems like only yesterday that Keddie and Dragons teammate Leon Brown were being invited to train with the senior national squad following star turns for Wales U20 as they clinched the Grand Slam in style in 2016.
“That was a really enjoyable period of rugby for me, that whole season,” he reminisces. “I was at Ebbw Vale and they were doing well – this was the year they won the Premiership – so if I wasn’t with them I was with the U20s, so it was a very enjoyable time in my life.”
He’s scored two tries in five matches this season – after overcoming a sternum injury suffered during pre-season – and with even more of his big-hitting teammates returning to action for the Dragons, he’s excited to be part of things at Rodney Parade.
After tonight’s European action, though, he’ll be heading back to The Broadway for Caerleon’s meeting with Pill Harriers on Saturday. Is it a refreshing contrast from the rigours of professional rugby? “I think it’s great,” he answers. “Everybody’s there for the right reasons, and being there on the touchline puts rugby in a completely different light to how I usually see it.”
