Provinces the only way for Moore

Wales at the crossroads: Owners have had their say, now it's time to step up a level, says experienced scrum-half

If Andy Moore can be described as a journeyman, it's been a fascinating trip, from the commuter belt to overseas travel, taking in the odd scenic route with a club-class ticket. The scrum-half has arrived at Neath, his final destination, via Cardiff, Oxford University, Richmond and Treviso.

At 34, Moore remains a model professional, or perhaps semi-professional. With the air in Wales thick with uncertainty, Moore has not given up his day job, working part-time with his brother and brother-in-law in the family firm, Reginald Moore Limited, house builders in Cardiff, the city where he was born and lives. "It's my get-out clause,'' Moore, a father of three, says. Unlike some, he does not have to worry about keeping a roof over his head.

Next Saturday at the Gnoll, Neath play Cardiff in the semi-finals of the Celtic League, a competition that has been monopolised by the Irish provinces. It is new territory for both clubs, between whom, given the political infighting in Wales, no wishbone would be cracked. Cardiff were one of the six that originally ganged up on Neath, a move that has since been overtaken by the Welsh Rugby Union's initiative for clubs to merge.

"Provinces are the answer,'' Moore said, "and they should be led from the top, selected by and for the Welsh Rugby Union, otherwise there is no point. The owners have done their little bit and had their say, and now it's time to step up a level.''

Moore, a product of Llanishen High School, joined Cardiff when he was 17. When he played for Wales Under-18 against England his opponents included Martin Johnson and Neil Back. "I quickly found myself in the Cardiff senior squad when there was a teacher's strike and no schools rugby. I remember listening to John Scott in the changing room. I don't think I opened my mouth for six months. You learned from everybody else. It was a bit like the Liverpool boot room.''

Moore, who partnered Gareth Davies and then Adrian Davies, was at Cardiff for 10 seasons. His swan-song was against Llanelli at the Arms Park in 1996, where Cardiff had a mathematical chance of winning the championship; it went to Neath, who simultaneously were playing Ponty-pridd. The highlight of Moore's career was, in his own words, simply pulling on the Cardiff jersey, but then he was made an offer he could not refuse. "Everyone was going crazy in England, and Richmond came in for me and Adrian with a ridiculous amount of money. Let's just say it was six figures. It took Adrian about a minute to decide. I'd never imagined myself not playing for Cardiff.''

Moore sat down and talked it over with Terry Holmes. "He'd gone through a similar thing when he joined Bradford Northern,'' Moore said. "As the Cardiff coach, Terry told me not to leave; as a friend he said I'd be mad not to go. I couldn't have spoken to a better guy. I knew I had to leave.''

Moore and Davies (the former Wales stand-off is now the coach of London Welsh) joined John Kingston (now at Harlequins) and the Richmond all-stars who were being bankrolled by Ashley Levett, a copper trader. Moore sold his four-bedroomed house in Cardiff and splashed out £140,000 on a little terraced number in St Margaret's, Twickenham. "We were full-time professionals and it was absolutely fantastic. I had time to watch my family grow up. It broadened my perspective, opened my eyes. It was like going to the other end of the world.''

Moore signed a five-year contract but the Richmond adventure crashed after three. Levett cut his losses, the club went into administration and the league abandoned them to their fate. Moore's compensation was one penny in the pound on the two years remaining on his contract. "The way it finished didn't do Ashley any favours, but at least he had the balls to try it. It was much deeper-rooted than one man pulling his money out. They were three great years.''

As the squad disbanded, Moore received a phone call from Benetton Treviso. "A guy with a very dodgy English accent said he'd meet me at Heathrow and I was convinced it was a wind-up.''

When he realised it wasn't, he and his wife, Alex, decided to move the family to Italy. Another offer he couldn't refuse. "It was only worth doing if we went the whole hog. Alex taught at a school, we learned Italian and made a real effort. It was a fantastic place, close to the beach and the ski slopes. When I joined Treviso I had 30 new friends.''

After fulfilling a two-year contract in Italy, which could have been renewed, Moore found himself back in South Wales where, for the last two seasons, he has been playing some high-class rugby for the Welsh all blacks. Neath doesn't have a beach or a ski slope, but it does have a passionate rugby club.

"My mother, Vivienne, is from Neath, so when I decided to join them she was over the moon. I'm thoroughly enjoying it. We don't train as much as some of the clubs. If the approach is too intense it tends to breed dull people who are very good at PlayStation. If you view training with the attitude, 'Oh no, here we go again', that can be reflected on the pitch. Neath is the focal point of the community and the club retain a lot of the old amateur ethos. There's a good atmosphere.''

Moore, described earlier in the season by Mark Ring, the Caerphilly coach, as the best scrum-half in Wales, is not unaccustomed to playing against Cardiff. He has faced them for Oxford University (he won a Blue in 1990), Richmond, Treviso and Neath.

"It's going to be very tight, very hard,'' he said, referring to next week's Celtic collision. "I just hope it drags Welsh rugby out of the apathy it is in at the moment. It desperately needs a focal point. The Welsh League has started but you wouldn't know it. There's so much doubt and it's a worrying time for a lot of players.''

Moore, who won four caps for Wales with three different partners, Adrian Davies, Neil Jenkins and Arwel Thomas, and was kept on the bench by Rob Howley, has another year on his contract at the Gnoll. Last week he was chatting to Allan Bateman, the veteran centre who returned to Neath after enjoying a cosmopolitan career. This is Bateman's last season.

"Who knows what's going to happen?'' Moore said. "As long as I am enjoying it and it's to a high standard, I'll play.''