The 2 players breakthrough Cardiff scrum-half Bevan models his game on
The URC Origin Rounds are firmly focussed on supporting the grassroots game and Cardiff Rugby’s Ellis Bevan is certainly doing just that.
The Arms Park scrum-half has taken up a role as an assistant coach with local community club Pentyrch and was on hand for their Division Two meeting with Penarth last weekend.
“It’s a great club with good people and something I’m enjoying,” said the Wales age-grade international.
Pentyrch definitely appreciate having him on board, as club secretary Alun Davidson confirms.
“It’s a real credit to Ellis that he’s willing to give something back to a grassroots club in the region he plays for,” he said.
“We’re really pleased to welcome him to the club and hope he enjoys his time coaching with us.”
Club captain Sam Scanlon added: “It’s a real boost for the boys to have Ellis join us as a coach. We can learn a lot from his insight and knowledge of the game.”
The England-born Bevan, who qualifies for Wales through his father, is quick to acknowledge the part grassroots teams played in his own journey to the professional ranks.
Raised in Solihull, in the west Midlands, he started out with two local clubs – Pertemps Bees and Old Silhillians – going on to attend Bryanston College, in Dorset, and then study at Cardiff Met.
It was Met team socks he wore for the Round 10 Origin clash with Connacht at the Arms Park, in a nod to the part the college played in his development.
“I went through the Welsh Exiles set-up and I was advised if I wanted to progress in the Welsh system it was a good idea to go to a University here,” he explained.
“Obviously I knew Cardiff Met was pretty decent. It married up with my studies and had good rugby facilities.
“I really enjoyed my time there.”
His obvious talent saw him selected to represent Wales U20s, adding to caps at U18s and U19s level.
Then, in his final year at University, in 2020, the business and law student was offered the chance to train with Cardiff Rugby and secured a regional contract on the back of that.
“I’ve always pushed to be a professional rugby player. That’s always been the dream,” he said.
While he was born, raised and schooled in England, his Welsh roots run deep, as his name suggests.
“My dad grew up in Sketty in Swansea,” he explains.
“He moved to the Midlands for work when he was in his mid-20s and he’s been there ever since.
“He had a massive impact in terms of pushing my Welsh roots. It’s always been a Welsh household in terms of the mentality of it.
“Come the Six Nations and the autumn internationals, we would always be at the Principality Stadium for the games.
“So it’s always been Wales.”
That’s further demonstrated by the identity of his favourite players when he was growing up.
“My first recollection of rugby was probably Shane Williams. He was my hero, him side-stepping and that sort of stuff,” he reveals.
“Then I fully invested in rugby and became a proper fan around 2012, 2013, with the Grand Slam and into the Lions where Wales had such a big impact. That’s when I realised I was a super fan.
“Shane Williams and Mike Phillips were a massive part of it at that time, along with George North.
“Then growing up and becoming a scrum-half, I looked at Aaron Smith for technical and Mike Phillips for the bigger, physical attributes of a No 9.”
Having bided his time at the Arms Park for a couple of years, he has enjoyed a real breakthrough this season, making ten appearances already.
He has generally served as back-up to Wales star Tomos Williams, but handed a start against Connacht he produced arguably his best performance for the region.
“Tomos is a great player to learn off, but as much as I do that, we are not the same player,” he said.
“I am just trying to be the best version of me, whether that’s seeing a bit of space and using my instinct or playing structured and using my kicking game, which I like to think is decent.
“I feel I bring quite athletic and physical attributes, whether that be my fitness or athletic ability. I try to get to rucks at high-speed and obviously that’s the way we like to play.
“For me, it’s keep improving and keep developing. I am by no means the finished article, but hopefully I can keep pushing and more and better things are to come.”
Next up for Bevan will be Saturday evening’s Origin Round encounter with URC table toppers Leinster at the Arms Park.
Comments on RugbyPass
“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
1 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
3 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
3 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
3 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
4 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
4 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to comments