Narberth RFC v Pontypool RFC

It’s been a season to remember for Kyan Best and he is now targeting a strong end to the campaign, starting with the trip to Narberth.

The prop is enjoying a breakthrough season after forcing his way into the team at Christmas.

In the last 10 days the front row has produced a man-of-the-match display against Bargoed in the WRU Admiral National Championship to maintain Pooler’s perfect record in the league.

He then rounded that off by starting at loosehead at the Principality Stadium as Pontypool came from behind to secure a memorable win in the final of the WRU Championship Cup against Ystrad Rhondda.

His importance to the team cannot be underestimated, the fact he has played 16 games this season – he had only played four times before this campaign – is evidence enough.

“I wasn’t really playing at the start of the season but I’m finishing it well,” said a buoyant Best.

“At the start of the year if someone had said to me I was going to play 10 games I would have been happy.

“So to play the games I’ve been involved in – started against Neath, Bargoed and in the final – is a big achievement for me.

“The experience [of the squad] has definitely shone through.

“The boys have been helping me out all year so I’m really happy. It’s a great bunch of boys.”

The focus for Best and co. will now be firmly on the long trip to the Lewis-Lloyd Ground as the begin their league run-in.

With the home fixture against Ystalyfera called off, it’s slightly poetic that Pooler’s first game after lifting the cup will be to the ground where it all started this season.

“It’s a bit of a shame [the game was called off] because we’ve missed a lot of rugby in the last couple of years and it would have been nice to play,” explained Best.

“But for the bodies it allows a lot of recovering from Sunday so it might be a bit of a blessing but we want to play as much rugby as we can at the end of the day.

“We played there at the start of the season in the first round of the cup and the wind changed the game around.

“We were dominating in the first half but in the second half we were into the wind.

“We’ve got to go down there now, play our rugby and if we do that I can’t see why we won’t get the win.”