Meet Harri Deaves – the former roofer taking on the All Blacks

In the cut-throat world of professional sport, where results are everything and contracts can be ripped up at the drop of a hat, heartwarming stories have become increasingly hard to find.

Then this week along came the international emergence of Wales’ Harri Deaves.

On Thursday, the same day he was selected for a Test debut against the might of New Zealand in Cardiff today, Deaves spent the evening at Pontyclun RFC, coaching his home club’s youth section. Deaves’ is a remarkable tale.

Despite progressing to rugby’s highest level against all the odds, the 24-year-old flanker hasn’t forgotten his roots.

On Monday nights, he is a member of Pontyclun’s darts team. In addition to passing on his knowledge to the village’s next generation, he’s been known to wash the senior team’s kit and cook post-match meals. 

While starting out at the Ospreys and unsure of whether he’d make the cut at club level, Deaves also worked as roofer. From humble beginnings has emerged Wales’ 1,217th men’s international. 

‘He coaches the youth mainly. You can’t keep him away,’ Ned Probyn, vice president of Pontyclun RFC, said of Deaves. ‘He’d got the day off from the Welsh squad on Thursday and was down there with them. 

‘I can’t express in words how valuable he is to the club. He’s on the rugby committee. We’ve got a junior women’s team now as well and if they’re short of a coach, he’ll jump in and coach them. He’s an incredible person. 

‘I’ve gone in the club some nights and the boys will say, “Oh, Harri’s here somewhere”. I’ve then gone into the laundry room and he’s there washing the kit from the previous Saturday and hanging it up to dry. The year before last, we had a club dinner and the caterers let us down. So, four or five of us decided to do a curry.

‘Harri was supposed to be on the top table with the guest speakers. He ended up cooking the curries in the kitchen with us and serving them! 

‘He represents the club in darts on a Monday night. Last year he was the captain but we took that off him so he could concentrate more on his rugby! Dewi Lake comes down every now and again for a throw with him.’

Conveniently, Wales’ Vale Resort training base is just around the corner from Pontyclun – a team Deaves first joined at Under-9 level.

‘We were all on edge waiting for him,’ Probyn said of Deaves’ Thursday visit to Pontyclun, after it was announced he was going to make a Wales bow. ‘All his family and a load of the kids were there and then he just turned up as if there was nothing going on. We all gave him a big cheer and he took it all in his stride. He just said, “Righto, that’s it. I’m going to have a game of darts now”.’

At Principality Stadium today, Deaves’ journey will reach the pinnacle. He wasn’t even in Wales’ original autumn squad, but was called up by head coach Steve Tandy when captain Jac Morgan dislocated his shoulder against Argentina. Now, he is straight into Tandy’s side. 

Deaves’ fellow uncapped Ospreys forward Morgan Morse, meanwhile, is on the bench after Aaron Wainwright was forced to withdraw due to a hip injury, with Taine Plumtree starting at No 8 instead.

Deaves’ ascent is an inspiration to all at Pontyclun. Wales, whose on and off-field troubles are now well known, should not really provide much of a test for the All Blacks, even if they have made 12 changes from the side well-beaten by England.

‘Harri was still doing bits and bobs with the roofing when I was at the Ospreys,’ former Wales and Lions wing Alex Cuthbert told Daily Mail Sport. ‘He would turn up to training in his van and do roofing work after. He used to get up at 5am when he was in the academy.

‘He’s the humblest guy you will ever meet, an absolute legend. It’s an unbelievable story that from where he’s come from, his first cap will be against the All Blacks.’ 

Deaves has learned from former Wales flanker Justin Tipuric at the Ospreys. Like Tipuric, he is distinctive on the field due to his scrum cap. But instead of Tipuric’s blue, he sports yellow headwear. Watch out for him rampaging around the field. 

At under 6ft and weighing only 15 stone, Deaves is small by the standards of today’s Test rugby behemoths. But he packs a punch and according to Tandy ‘isn’t going to die wondering’.

Deaves will become Pontyclun’s fourth men’s Wales international. For Welsh supporters looking for inspiration, the other three are Cliff Jones, Willie Llewellyn and Tommy Rees. Their record against the All Blacks? Played three, won three.

Deaves is unlikely to make it four from four. Wales are 35/1 outsiders to beat New Zealand and have lost their last 33 matches to the All Blacks dating back to 1953. The reality is the proudest moment of Deaves’ career to date will almost certainly end in a one-sided defeat. 

Regardless, for him and Pontyclun it will be a day to remember. And it is likely to be one which will finish with a game of darts.

‘I wouldn’t like to put a figure on how many tickets have been sold to people in Pontyclun over the last few days,’ Probyn added. ‘I’ve arranged for 16 light yellow bucket hats to be made with a No 7 and a Pontyclun badge. I’m just hoping they’re going to come in time!

‘He’s told me he wants to be back in the club on Saturday night after the game. This boy is something different. He just cannot wait to be back among his friends. Saturday is going to be an incredible day.’

HOW THE TEAMS WILL LINE UP 

Wales: Murray; Rees-Zammit, Llewellyn, Hawkins, Rogers; Edwards, Williams; Carre, Lake (capt), Assiratti, Jenkins, Beard, Mann, Deaves, Plumtree. 

Replacements: Coghlan, G Thomas, Griffin, F Thomas, Morse, Hardy, Evans, Tompkins.

New Zealand: Love; Jordan, Ioane, Lienert-Brown, Clarke; McKenzie, Ratima; Williams, Taukei’aho, Tosi, Barrett (capt), Holland, Parker, Kirifi, Sititi

Replacements: Bell, Newell, Bower, Lord, Lio-Willie, Christie, Fainga’anuku, Reece

Kick-off: Saturday, 3.10pm. Referee: Hollie Davidson (Scotland). TV: TNT Sports.