Proud son Billy ready to run rule over Lions
DONCASTER full-back Billy McBryde admits beating star-studded Saracens would cap what has already been a great week for his family.
On Tuesday, McBryde’s father Robin was named Lions forwards coach for the tour to South Africa.
“I am a very proud son. He is being well respected globally now, and I am really chuffed for him,” said McBryde, one of the Knights’ new recruits.
“I’ve seen at first hand the amount of hard work that he has had to do and is continuing to do and the success that has brought him and is continuing to bring him.”
McBryde will face some of the players his father is likely to coach in a few months’ time, and would love to give his old man a selection headache as the Knights go in search of a sixth straight win under head coach Steve Boden.
“It would be quite some statement,” said the former RGC 1404 Welsh Premiership star. “They’ve been European champions for a reason and have built a strong culture and squad but we are playing with a bit of confidence and winning is a habit.
“With all due respect to what they have done in the past, we are going to give it a good crack. Some would say it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play against some of the best players in the world so we don’t want to look back with any regrets at all.”
In the short period of time McBryde has been at Castle Park, the 24-year-old from Carmarthen has become a popular member of the squad.
A fly-half by trade, he says he is enjoying his new role at full-back. “When Bodes asked me to play there, it was a bit of a shock because I have never played there before. But I like to think I am quick learner. Bodes and Joe Ford, the attack coach, like us to play is with two playmakers
with a 10’s mentality to share the workload and I think that has helped us so far.
“It gives us a bit of variety in our kicking game with Sam (Olver) being a right-footed option and myself a left. That really opens up both sides to attack the defensive backfield which is something we have been working on.”
McBryde believes kicking, and the strategy around that area, will be key to the outcome today.
“We’re going to try and play as much rugby as we can away from our try line because we know they’ll come with a kicking game – they kicked the ball to Richmond 27 times – and how we deal with that is important,” he said.
“For us, it is a case of not overplaying, they’ll be looking for us to break (our nerve) first and to try and counterattack, even when it is not on, because we are frustrated. Sometimes when you haven’t had the ball that much as a player you feel the need to attack.
“We need to be patient, keep in the kicking game as long as we can but when we do get opportunities, we are ready to go.”