Roberts, the colossal tight head from Ruthin, is now a regular in the Sale Sharks Guiness Premiership side but four years ago he was combining farming with playing for his hometown club.
Sale give him his chance and since then he’s made a front row spot his own alongside the likes of England and Lions international Andrew Sheridan as well as being named in the Welsh squad for the current Six Nations campaign.
So the Jets will be on the lookout for more talent when they face newly-launched Rygbi Gogledd Cymru 1404 on Wednesday (February 24, 7.30pm kick-off) at Parc Eirias in Colwyn Bay.
Two years ago the Jets, the Sharks development side, underestimated the North Wales side, brought a young side and were held to a 17-all draw.
RGC 1404 manager Kenton Morgan said: “Since then Sale have made sure that they have brought a competitive side with the edge to win and this game will be no exception.
“Over the past three seasons, Sale have provided north Wales players with high class opposition and also with opportunities.
“They are the nearest top class side to the region and while Eifion Roberts is their most prominent recruit, six players from North Wales have played for Sale inthe last two years.”
Morgan added though that Roberts’s progress was a beacon for other North Wales talent: “Eifion has gone from Division Four to the Welsh squad and that’s both an inspiration for local players and an example of the absence of a method of recruiting talent in north Wales,” he said.
“Regional age grade rugby, the work of Performance manager Marc Roberts, the activities of the regional team Gogledd Cymru, now RGC1404 and the developing North Wales Rugby Academy are changing that.”
Last time the sides met Sale won 33-13 but this time round RGC will be bolstered by 10 Canadian internationals alongside homegrown talent like Nant Conwy wing Ioan Davies and Bethesda scrum-half Carwyn Williams and will be looking for their first win against their Mancunian neighbours.
Morgan added: “Sale have been great supporters of the development of players and rugby in the region over the past three seasons but that doesn’t mean we don’t want to beat them more than ever.”
