High-flying wing Aled Summerhill is keen to keep his feet firmly on the ground, as he establishes himself in the Cardiff Blues first team.
After biding his time for a breakthrough at his home region, the academy product burst onto scene in 2018/19, scoring an impressive 10 tries in 15 outings and becoming one of the in-form wings in Wales.
Summerhill’s burst of pace makes him a deadly attacking weapon in the Cardiff Blues backline. Running at a maximum speed of 10 meters per second, the wing is the fastest member of John Mulvihill’s squad, quickly followed by the likes of Harri Millard and Owen Lane.
The humble Summerhill, who has kick-started this campaign with two tries, was delighted with his progress last season and is hungry continue his red-hot form as the Blues look to get back to winning ways.
“People could talk about players getting big headed. But I’m just a Valleys boy, that’s never going to change. I’m enjoying my rugby and want to keep my head down and work hard for the team,” said the wing.
“To start this season playing in each game is good and it’s a totally different start to last season.
“At the start of last season, I didn’t get much game time but as the season went on I became more and more involved which was nice.
“I had quite a few niggles and soft tissue injuries, which were frustrating at the time because I was trying to get into the team.
“I’d play one week, but the next week I’d be set-back a couple of weeks with a niggle.
“From last season, I’ve managed to stay pretty fit and it’s been going pretty good for me but hopefully I can go up another level now.
“The older you get, the more experienced you are, and that will change your role within the squad. I’m pretty quiet off the pitch, and maybe not a natural leader, but when I’m playing I like to do my talking on the pitch.”
Wales’ Capital Region return to the Arms Park on Saturday as they host Munster in a crucial Guinness PRO14 encounter.
After three consecutive Championship defeats, Summerhill insists the Cardiff Blues squad are desperate to bounce back in front of home support, and he's seen a real zip in training this week.
The former Wales under-18 international added: “For myself it’s always nice to get on the scoreboard, but it would be nice to pick up some wins as well.
“We’ve got a few international boys missing, who will be coming back into the squad soon, but we’ve got a good bunch of boys here.
“Everyone needs to step up during this time because these are big parts of the season, and international boys will be missing for big chunks of the season. As a core group we have to stay tight and get the results.
“This week there’s been a real edge in training and you’re able to see that.
“Last time out at the Arms Park, we didn’t do ourselves justice. We need to put a good performance for those fans this week who turn out and pay good money to watch our game.
“We’re working really hard to get that result for them, and we’ve got our pride as a squad as well.
“You don’t train day-in, day-out in order to lose. We’re desperate to win against a good Munster team and there’s a lot of hard work being done behind the scenes."
Your Cardiff Blues heroes are hungry to get back to winning ways as they welcome Munster to the Arms Park on Saturday. Tickets are available NOW - come show your support for the boys!