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Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake joined Gloucester earlier this week amid the ongoing uncertainty in Welsh rugby
Ospreys head coach Mark Jones says he’s confident there won’t be a player exodus despite the uncertainty, as he said he was hopeful of welcoming Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake back to the club.
The Wales captains announced they were joining Gloucester earlier this week, amid the ongoing uncertainty in Welsh rugby. The Welsh Rugby Union are currently working towards reducing the number of professional teams in Wales from four to three, but no clarity has yet been offered on which club that will be.
With one club planned in the west, it would appear to be a straight shoot-out between the Scarlets and Ospreys – meaning there’s an even greater spectre of uncertainty hanging over those two clubs.
That has seen Ospreys captain Morgan and vice-captain Lake decide to head to the Gallagher Prem ahead of next season, with other players being linked with moves away.
Fly-half Dan Edwards is attracting interest from Leicester Tigers, while Kieran Hardy and Gareth Thomas have also been linked to moves away – even if the latter isn’t out of contract next summer.
However, former Wales wing Jones is confident there won’t be an exodus from the Ospreys ahead of next season.
“I’m confident that we’ll have some much more positive news, if you want to frame it like that, around our players,” he said. “We’ve made a huge focus on our retention.
“That’s been the strategy of myself, the management and the coaching group to make sure we secure the players we’re allowed to. The WRU are allowing us to secure certain players of a national interest, first and foremost.
“They’re securing those contracts, so we’ve been targeting those players initially. Obviously Jac and Dewi were part of that.
“We’re pretty comfortable with where discussions are and we’re pretty hopeful we’ll have some good news in the coming weeks announcing some positive news around our re-signings of our key talent.”
On the same day that the Ospreys announced Morgan and Lake would leave, they were also able to confirm new deals for Harri Deaves and Morgan Morse.
Both back-rows were recently capped by Wales in the autumn, joining wing Keelan Giles – another Osprey handed his Wales debut this year – in signing a new deal at the club.
And as Jones reflected on losing Morgan and Lake, he chose to focus on the opportunities their departure would create for other members of his squad.
“We’re obviously disappointed to lose our local lads from the team,” he said. “They’re a big part of what we’re about, the way we play.
“The environment they set through their leadership and experience. Naturally we’re hugely disappointed. What I see is it’s a great opportunity to develop the next group.
“You cut the oak tree down and all that grows beneath it usually flourishes a little bit more. One door is closing, but another is opening for others. I think that’s the bit we’ve got to focus on.
“The news around Deavesy and Morsey re-signing is really positive. They are now part of our future and we want those guys to grow into the same characters that Dewi and Jac are.
“We’ve got lots of other guys as well that are going to hopefully come in and take forward the foundations of what Jac and Dewi have done.”
What has made the news of Morgan and Lake’s departures harder to swallow compared to previous examples of players leaving is that there’s a sense that both might have stayed if circumstances had allowed.
Morgan had previously privately expressed that he would only stay at the Ospreys if he was to stay in Wales, but ultimately, given the uncertainty, the Lions back-row has chosen to head to Gloucester.
“This is not a reflection of the Ospreys,” said Jones. “I’ll make that really clear. This is not a reflection of their love for the team, their team-mates, the staff or the supporters.
“This is a professional decision based on their futures as pro rugby players. There’s so much uncertainty around the Ospreys as a team and Welsh rugby in general.
“I think at certain points in the season, you have to make a career decision based on the facts you have in front of you. The fact is at the moment that the future has not yet been clarified.
“They’ve had a lot to think about in a short space of time. An awful lot of people saying an awful lot of things. They can only base that decision on what they actually know.
“It’ll be our loss and Gloucester’s gain in the short-term, but also it will prove to be an opportunity for others to step up to the plate and show what they can do in those positions.”
Jones said he has still not had any clarity on the Ospreys’ future, as he once again praised his squad for how they continue to react to the uncertainty.
“The best thing the players and staff can do here around Dewi, Jac or anyone who takes up another opportunity is to make the most of this season,” he said. “Make it a memorable one.
“Give them the memories that will last a long time. This is just a moment in time.
“The guys are going for a period of time. The Ospreys will be here waiting for them when they decide to come back and it’ll be in a good place because the guys that are sitting in the room alongside them will make sure that environment is strong while they go off on their adventures.”
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