Adam Beard has underlined his status and importance for the Ospreys during the first months of the new 2020/21season and produced performances to remind everyone of his ability.
The Ospreys lock, who signed a new two-year deal to stay at the Liberty in the summer, was a Grand Slam winner and World Cup semi-finalist in 2019. Enough said.
While Alun Wyn Jones has been away captaining Wales and Bradley Davies sidelined through injury, Beard has emerged as a leader for the Ospreys during the opening months of the Pro14 campaign.
It’s easy to forget how much he has always crammed into his career and that he is still only 24 years of age. His best years are clearly ahead of him.
With experienced second rows Jones and Davies missing, Beard has stepped up and taken on the mantle of senior pro in the engine room for the side and has made a real impact.
“I still see myself as a youngster, but for my age I think I’ve done a lot in the game already and it’s something I’m very proud of,” said Beard.
“I’m trying to step up with my leadership skills now being back at the Ospreys and enjoying getting a good run of games.
“I try and do my little bits in and around training with the likes of Will Griffiths and Rhys Davies to help them out.
“You look at the second rows in the club and we’ve got a lot of experienced players here that help each other out and we’re lucky to have that."
Beard has shown the resilience and commitment to the cause demanded by Toby Booth, the new Ospreys Head Coach, and is part of a pack of forwards starting to make a dent in their opponents.
The 21-times capped Welsh international, who stands at 6ft and 8ins and weighs in at 19st, is clearly relishing the chance to roll up his sleeves for the Ospreys.
He is part of an Ospreys eight which has been dominant at the scrum and is proving to be a real weapon for the side as the campaign develops.
“You have seen glimpses of the rugby we want to play and the direction we want to go, we need performances and then the results will come,” said Beard.
“It’s all about putting the work in and we are all doing that.
“We have one of the best scrums in the league and we have scored a few driving lineouts too.
“You have seen the improvements and the style we want to play, we need to put in an 80 minute performance, and, like I say, you are seeing where we want to go as a team, we just need it for the full 80 minutes.
“You look at our results since we’ve come back after the lockdown and we have a good performance, then we back it up with a loss.
“It’s important for us all that we celebrate our victories but then get straight back into it the week after and get another solid performance in the bag.“
Beard’s name was missing from the recent Wales squad for the Autumn Nations cup, an omission that surprised many but has proved to be a motivation for the player himself.
“I was disappointed and gutted,” said Beard. “I am not going to lie about that, but my job is to play well for the Ospreys and put my hand up come Six Nations time.
“If I am playing well for the Ospreys and getting good game-time, it’s just going to benefit me.”
While the big second row has been reminding everyone of what he has to offer as a player with some big performances for the Liberty Stadium side, there has also been a seismic change for him at home and one that has provided some real balance to his life.
Beard and his fiancée, Chelsea, welcomed baby Zac to the world during the first lockdown and admits it has given him a different perspective on life and rugby.
“Becoming a Dad is definitely the best job in the world and one I’m loving at the minute,” said Beard.
“He gives you something else to look forward to coming home to at the end of a day’s training and rugby’s no longer the sole factor in your life.
“It’s great to have that balance and good for taking my mind off rugby. Obviously you can’t really relax with a six-month old keeping you on your toes but he really puts things into perspective.”