Spot, the difference

When Steve Law arrived as Head Coach of Cardiff RFC in 2017 it was at a critical point in the whole club’s history, but particularly the Rags.

The Blue and Blacks had just finished effectively 14th in a 16-team league that at the time was splitting halfway through. We had won just one game between the 7th December and 29th April, and that was in the Welsh Cup against second division Tata Steel.

It was a squad that was filled with talented players, both Cardiff Academy future stars and good semi-professionals, but a lack of joined up thinking from the Cardiff Rugby Board, Cardiff Athletic Club Rugby Committee, first team rugby management and Rags coaching staff resulted in the club contriving to trip itself up all too often.

After too many years of coaching changes and trying out different combinations of younger and technical choices, the decision was made to bring Steve Law in from his 16-year stint with Bedwas, and as it turned out it was an absolute masterstroke.

“Spot”, as he’s affectionately known, had the very difficult job of balancing the development aspect of the RFC with the task of turning around the team’s fortunes on-the-field from a results perspective, returning Cardiff towards a level of competitiveness in whatever format the Welsh Rugby Union’s tombola threw up for the Premiership that season.

Things started slowly but surely in 2017/18, going from a basement battle to mid-table respectability with 14 wins from 29 games, but by 2018/19 the progress was plain for all to see. Along with newly appointed Academy Manager Gruff Rees, Law had returned the Rags to a success level not seen for a decade at the Arms Park.

Taking the core of a solid squad already in place, Spot added some excellent semi-pro talent in Thomas Davies, Kieran Martin, Sam Pailor, Zach O’Driscoll, Morgan Allen and Joe Gatt, before picking up Aled Cockwell and Edd Howley from the demise of Neath.

Mixing them with Rhys Carre, James Botham, Ben Thomas and Max Llewellyn from the Academy, alongside fringe first team players such as Macauley Cook and Dan Fish, the playing group was in a really healthy place and Law’s coaching staff gave them the tools required to push Merthyr all the way at the top of the Premiership and pip the Ironmen in the Welsh Cup Final to lift some silverware.

Trophy-wise the accolades would continue for Spot’s Cardiff with the 2021/22 Premiership and 2022/23 Welsh Cup joining the trophy cabinet at the Arms Park, while there perhaps should have been something to lift but for the covid pandemic interrupting a run for the league and cup double in 2019/20, and there not being anything awarded for coming top of the Premiership in 2022/23 as end-of-season play-offs were introduced.

They cement Law’s legacy at the club, but equally as important has been the player development that has occurred on his watch. The aforementioned Carre, Botham, Thomas and Llewellyn have been joined by the likes of Rhys Barratt, Efan Daniel, Evan Lloyd, Keiron Assiratti, Will Davies-King, Teddy Williams, Alex Mann, Mackenzie Martin, Ellis Bevan, Mason Grady, Cam Winnett, Jacob Beetham and Theo Cabango as progressing to the first team and even on to international honours.

Similarly as impressive is picking up players like Rory Pitman, Rory Bartle and Alex Everett and seeing them progress to contracts in England or Australia. His eye for a talented player in the community game and ability to develop them into a top player for the Premiership and beyond is unquestioned.

With that player identification and coaching skills also comes the need to create a culture of co-operation and performance that spans players of all ages, contracts and different stages in their career. Guys who have had long professional careers, have just been released from Academy systems, have only ever been in the community game, are University graduates, fringe senior professionals and future stars coming together to pull in the same direction under his guidance.

Law manages to pitch that perfectly and create a tight playing group that genuinely seem to enjoy each other’s company on the pitch which translates to hard-working performances on it.

This current, and last, season for Spot at the Arms Park has undoubtedly been his toughest as the penny pinching across Welsh rugby and at the Arms Park hit hard. The first team had to pull in a number of young players who otherwise would have been embedded with the Rags during this campaign, while the funds were not there to bring in semi-pros as replacements to add squad depth.

Rumours have done the rounds that Law even had to forego some of his wages in order for players to be paid and the RFC to have a competitive squad this year, yet in spite of all that they have remained at the top end of the Premiership and secured a spot in the play-offs thanks to Saturday’s win over Merthyr. A fifth successive victory, four with try bonus points, to bring the regular season to a close.

It’s a remarkable feat to remain one of the top sides of the league and give himself the chance to go out on a huge high, with anything possible in knockout rugby, while also leaving the Rags in a really strong position ahead of likely going into the new Elite Development Competition next season.

The likes of Freddie Barnes, Sean Moore, Ethan Phillips, Craig Hudd, Nathan Hudd, Joe Williams, Luke Pollock, Dewi Cross, Joe Goodchild and Jacob Lloyd are exciting young semi-professionals, while Cam Tyler-Grocott, Lucas De La Rua, Evan Rees, Matty Young, Tom Hughes and Kodie Stone have all had great experience playing in the Premiership with many still only U18.

In his statement through the RFC website Law was typically self-effacing, keen to name his fellow members of management and coaching staff as major elements of the success of the team over the last seven years, as well as making it clear he was not leaving of his own volition.

The reasoning behind and wisdom of that decision from the club will come out in due course, but for now Steve Law’s time at Cardiff draws to a close with memories that will last a lifetime and a record that goes down in history for even longer.

A great coach who has given the Rags the greatest era as a semi-professional side so far with one, and hopefully two, more games to come.

Diolch Spot!